Virus V
by multifandomholic
Summary: A desperate race to find a cure for cancer turns disastrous when people's bodies start rejecting the cure. These changed vicious creatures are quickly outnumbering humans, forcing many humans to go into hiding and survive on their own. People thought this cure would change the world, just not in the way they expected. And someone has a secret that may just save them all.
1. Andie

**Thank you for reading. The first few chapters will be introducing all the characters and how the wold changes. There will be some time hops so just keep that in mind. I hope I leave enough mystery to what is happening to make in understandable and not too confusing, but more all be explained and explored later. **

***I am going to try and update this every Friday* I have a few chapters written already so depending on the Review, if people like this, I will keep writing at a steady pace. Reviews really do help me write more, so please let me know what you think.**

**Enjoy**

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Chapter 1 – Andie

_3 Months - __**Before**_

Andie was at another person's house when she heard the news—well, she was dog/house sitting for her neighbors to be exact. She had just taken their Laberdoodle, Rufus, for a run and she was sweating and breathing hard as she unlocked the door to her neighbor's garage. The cool, insulated air of the garage hit her in a wave and immediately relieved her from the humid air outside.

It had been a late start to summer, but it had finally arrived with a vengeance. She silently thanked a higher power that her neighbors had air conditioning. (Her blonde, curly hair loved any chance it could get to frizz.)

Her neighbors had left their house to travel out West and left Andie in charge of the house and the dog while they were gone. She had helped out her neighbors plenty of times before, and rather enjoyed spending her time at their house.

Her neighbor's house was a beautiful lake house with huge windows facing the water. The kitchen was all granite, wood, and stainless steel—much nicer than Andie could ever afford.

As Andie entered the kitchen, she stopped to grab Rufus's bowl of water then pulled a complementary Gatorade out of their fridge for herself and turned on their television—which they had _in_ their kitchen.

"We have Dr. Darnell with us today," the female news anchor began. Andie watched the anchor's face. She had brown, straight hair, caked on makeup, a serious face—just like any other anchor that was on practically every channel these days.

It turns out a group of doctors may have found a cure for cancer—possibly all diseases. It was the only thing on the news, every channel, and all day. Curiosity peaked, Andie listened to the Doctor speak as she continued to fill up Rufus's bowl with water.

"Thank you, Wendy. So far the tests on animals have been successful." The doctor said. Dr. Darnell was an man with a symmetrical face for television and an informative voice. His brown hair was just beginning to streak with silver. Dark, thick-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. They looked like they belonged to a younger person, and yet the older doctor made them work. Andie imagined the doctor was extremely attractive when he was younger, and he still was, in a "hot dad" sort of way. Older men always were more attractive. _Sigh._

Andie looked down at Rufus who was now enthusiastically lapping water out of his bowl. She couldn't imagine testing anything on something so cute. The testing was most likely on rats or monkeys, but she still felt a pang in her heart.

She directed her attention back to the TV.

"Our sick and diseased animal test subjects have shown more youthful tendencies as if they were never sick to begin with. It's almost as they are now healthier than they have ever been. The cure has shown a 99.9% positive result rate and our next step is to start tests on humans. Normally, this process could take several years to approve, but we hope that because this is such a high priority case that the Board will approve the cure for human testing within the next few days." The doctor sounded optimistic. He ended his speech with a smile.

From what Andie had heard from other sources, this cure was the real deal. Mankind had finally found a cure for cancer, not only that, but a way to make humans cured from all sorts of diseases like heart problems, diabetes, even the common cold. If this cure ended up working on humans there would be no more famine. It would be like an act of God, wiping away all the disease in the world like it never existed. From what it sounds like, this cure may even make humans stronger.

Andie's aunt had cancer. She remembered watching helplessly as her aunt slowly and painfully slipped away. A disease like that would put up a fight, and Andie had her doubts that this cure would work on humans. Part of her even wondered if humans were overstepping their bounds. Humans have created cures like this that have gotten rid of terrible diseases before, but they've never battled a disease quite like this. People have been searching for a cure to cancer for so long that it was hard to believe that it might have actually been found.

"Our hope is to turn this cure into a preventative vaccine for all humans," the doctor continued. Andie rolled her eyes.

She _did_ hope that this cure would actually help people, but there was always a part of her that had to be realistic. What if it didn't work? She was genuinely intrigued, just like everyone else; she just couldn't get her hopes up. Not yet.

She turned off the television, despite how much the news peaked her interest. She would just have wait and find out what exactly this cure would do.

. . .

_One week later_

"Mom?" Andie called out into a seemingly empty house. "Dad?" She stepped into their living room to find them watching the news. Today was the day that they broadcasted the first test of the cure on a sick human.

There had been billboards, newspaper ads, commercials, and videos that popped up on computer screens that broadcasted this day. It was last minute news and the media was trying to spread the news as fast as possible. They seemed to have done their job right because this day was all anyone was talking about.

The box TV flickered in the darkness of the living room. It was Primetime, and countless channels were broadcasting live from a New York testing facility.

There was a man sitting—not so calmly—in a cushioned chair that reminded Andie of the ones at dentist's offices. The man's hair was thinning, but he was not old—most likely in his thirties—the thinning hair was most likely from previous chemotherapy treatments.

Andie could also see a group of doctors, as well as Dr. Darnell from the news in verdigris colored scrubs. Apparently Dr. Darnell was not just a handsome spokesperson, but also an actual doctor working toward the cure. Their mouths were moving, but there was no audio; the shot of the white room was silent while a commentator was describing the action.

"As we approach the nine o'clock hour, our hopes and prayers go out to the medical team, the researchers, and the brave patient who volunteered. The world is anxiously waiting for positive results." The man who was talking couldn't be seen. He was probably in some news studio far away from the test facility, watching the live feed like everyone else.

A nurse rolled in a table with a clear, transparent, glass bottle and one needle filled with red liquid. It reminded Andie for a moment of a Cherry flavored drink she had as a kid, but she knew this was no childish drink. This had to be the cure—the cure for cancer. Andie thought to herself, _that's it? Just one little shot and the cancer would be gone?_

She thought back again to her aunt who went through months of chemotherapy, countless injections, and dozens of pills in the hopes that _maybe_ it would cure her cancer. How could one little injection actually do anyone any good? How was that going to help?

Suddenly the audio of the room had been turned on. No one spoke at first and all that could be heard was the faint buzz of iridescent lights. A machine was hooked up the patient in the chair and it beeped steadily as a heart. Now that Andie was looking, the man had several wires hooked up to him, measuring and monitoring who knows what.

A tall doctor began speaking now. "Thank you for joining us tonight. We hope that this testing is as successful as all the others and of course we all hope that this day will mark the end of cancer's vicious reign over humanity." He glanced over at a nurse who handed him the syringe of red liquid. A nurse had previously cleaned the patient's arm, and now the doctor was finding a vein. "I feel as if we should have prepared something to say, since this is a moment that will be written in history." The doctors let out a chorus of muted chuckles behind their masks. "All I have left to say," the doctor injected the cure into the patient's arm. The man gasped quickly. "Long live, Humanity."

The crowed of doctors and nurses applauded after the cure had been injected and the patient smiled in relief. Andie was sure the cure may take time to actually work, but she understood the happiness he must feel. The hope. The relief.

She found his smile contagious, and she smiled herself. Maybe this _was_ the cure. Maybe this would end up being the end of all illness.

"Seems like the doctors sort of shot themselves in the foot," Andie said out loud.

"Why's that?" her father asked as he leaned back into his LazyBoy. The doctor's room gave off a murmur of voices talking at the same time and congratulating each other—not much to watch anymore. The exciting part was over.

"Well, their hope is to eventually make it so that humans are immune to all diseases. It sounds like they are going to lose some business." Andie explained.

"You are always one step ahead of everyone," This time her mother spoke.

"I feel hot," the patient finally said from the TV. The doctors went silent, but the beeping machines went crazy. "I—I—" the man was visibly sweating now.

The patient who had been injected was seizing up, eyes rolling back into his head. The doctors were scrambling to help him, but nothing seemed to be working. They were barking medical orders at each other to try different things, but nothing seemed to be working.

Finally the screen went black and then went to static before returning back to a worried news anchor sitting behind a desk. In the time that the anchor spoke, however long that was, Andie read the words that were on the bottom of the screen. The words "Breaking News" scrolled along the bottom with headline-like titles. Andie pulled her knees to her chest as she read.

CANCER CURE FAILED

CEASE ON HUMAN TESTING

PATIENT DEAD

Neither of her parents spoke. Andie imagined that no one in the world was speaking either after what just happened.

Suddenly, the newsperson's face changed from grief to confusion to shock. He put his hand up to his earpiece to make sure he was hearing correctly. Silently, as if to other people in the studio and not to the audience at home, the anchor whispered, "_what?!"_

This time the newsperson did not speak. Maybe it was from fear or shock, but the anchor could not form words. Headlines began to form at the bottom of the screen again. Andie read.

PATIENT RESSURECTED

PATIENT KILLS 3 DOCTORS IN BLOODY MASSACRE

PATIENT LIVES AND IS STRONG AND AGGRESSIVE

PATIENT ESCAPES

The last line that scrolled across the bottom of the screen read: DANGEROUS PATIENT IS ALIVE AND AT LARGE, LOCK ALL DOORS AND STAY INSIDE. PATIENT IS VIOLENT AND STRONG. LOCK ALL DOORS AND STAY INSIDE.

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**Hope you liked this first chapter! The next two chapters will introduce three other main characters (hint. hot boys. gotta have them)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! This is the first chapter and i really want to know how it is! THANK YOU!**


	2. Jamie and Finn

**As promised, here is chapter 2! FYI: I will be updating this every Friday UNLESS you guys want more, then review and I will update sooner! **

**In this chapter we meet two more main characters and this chapter takes place a month after chapter 1, so you get to see how the virus has progressed :)**

**ENJOY! and REVIEW!**

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Chapter 2 – Jamie and Finn

_2 Months - __**Before**_

"What the hell! Can't we get a little help around here?!" Finn yelled in the lobby of the emergency room.

"It's bad enough that my knee feels like it's been ripped apart," Jamie grunted as he tried to walk, "but now I've got you _screaming_ into my ear." He yelled right back into Finn's ear. "I think I'm going to go deaf." Jamie joked as he limped alongside his brother, one arm slung over Finn's shoulder.

It had been their semi-final soccer game, them against Drayton Heights—their rival. The game had been scheduled for tonight, but had been canceled due to the quarantine and rescheduled to an unidentified date. Neither of the teams were okay with letting the game go, so the set up a sort of "speakeasy" soccer game. The two teams, and a handful of fans snuck onto the soccer field and decided once and for all who the better team was.

Into the last half, the brother's team was winning and it was that sleazy number five that stepped on Jamie's foot as he turned for the ball. Foot forcibly planted on the ground, Jamie spun, but his leg did not follow. He was sure he tore his knee.

The game was probably over. Of course Finn offered to take Jamie to the hospital, he wouldn't be separated from his twin—even if it was the most important soccer game, his brother came first.

There had been no ambulance at the game on account that both of the teams were breaking quarantine and curfew rules and only a select few knew the game was going on. Besides, even if the boys could call an ambulance they would never be helped; EMT's were always out due to the new cure/infection thing going around.

Even now the hospital was completely busy. Ever since the failed cure, more and more people have been coming to hospitals, claiming they've been infected—like there was a virus going around, but what was going around was no virus.

It was worse.

The public and doctors were still confused about what exactly was happening, but one thing was for certain, you did not want to get attacked by an infected. It would mean certain death—if you were lucky. If not, you became infected like them, bloodthirsty and feral. Whatever was going around made people go insane and attack other people, which created a vicious cycle. There were hundreds of reports of people biting and ripping humans apart to drink their blood. People were being sent to the hospital left and right, either bitten or infected, and the doctors and nurses still had no idea about how to fix it.

Because of the rushed panic in the emergency room, no one at the hospital had helped Jamie yet, but the brothers didn't need to be told by a doctor that Jamie's knee had been torn. They had played soccer long enough to know the injury. Torn meniscus, possibly all the tendons were torn with the pain he was in. They had seen countless teammates go through the same pain.

Swollen and purple, his knee was twice the size of the other. You could barely see the knobby bone anymore, and purple and blue bruises were starting to surface, like a balloon of paint had popped underneath his skin. It ached like hell. It popped every so often when he put pressure on it and he could barely straighten it. Yeah, his knee was destroyed.

"Let's just go home for tonight and come back in the morning," Jamie suggested. There were people here in much worse condition than Jamie that needed immediate medical attention.

He glanced over at a woman who had been strapped to a gurney and was screaming. A torn knee seemed insignificant compared that. "For whatever reason, the infected don't go out during the day so we can come back when it's less busy." The woman's hair was wild and she had a bloody bandage on her forearm. She kept yelling about how feverish she was. Sweat was seeping through her clothes. Jamie thought that someone really ought to help her.

Finn looked at his brother with an incredulous look. "You need help too, they can't just ignore you—"

"What are they going to do for me tonight that they can't do for me in the morning? They'll just give me some painkillers and tell me I need to schedule a surgery. So I say we buy some Vicodin from Drew and head home for the night. I'll be okay. I'll be asleep half the time anyway. I won't feel a thing."

"Jamie," Finn and Jamie both had the blessing and curse of caring about other people before themselves. Jamie was worried about the other people in the hospital, but Finn was worried about Jamie.

"Fine," Finn caved. "Have you gotten a hold of Mom or Dad yet?" Finn turned, with Jamie still leaning on his shoulder, and started walking back toward the parking lot. Nurses continued to ignore them even as they watched the teen limp out of the hospital.

"No," Jamie sucked in a breath from pain, but tried to be as silent as possible so Finn wouldn't worry. Even a little weight sent a sharp zing of pain up his leg. "Neither of them answered their phones."

Jamie and Finn's parents were probably just leaving from work. Thank God, too, Jamie could only imagine his mother fretting over him and his knee and them sneaking out. Finn was just like their mother, always protecting and worrying about the family whenever something went wrong.

Finn helped Jamie into the passenger side of the car. Jamie grabbed the top of the roll cage with one hand and pulled himself up into the passenger seat. He cupped his hands under his torn knee and hoisted it up into the car as well. He grimaced, but quickly gave a small smile to a disapproving Finn. "I'm fine," Jamie reiterated.

Finn got into the driver's side of his jeep. It was black with only the roll cage on top and tan leather seats. He had learned early in his soccer career that this was the perfect car because he could put all of his sport gear into the back and it wouldn't _completely_ stink up the back. Plus, he loved the feeling of the wind rushing past him. It was the only thing his mother and him could compromise on—Finn originally wanted a motorcycle.

Finn turned the engine over and the headlights lit up the car in front of them. It was dark now. They really should be home soon before their parents freaked, seeing that the boys weren't there. "You're sure you're okay?" he asked once more.

"I'll be fine once I get some Vicodin. You think Drew will let us use an 'IOU'?" Jamie smiled innocently. "I didn't bring a wallet."

Finn laughed with little humor, "You're lucky I did." Jamie always had the habit of leaving his wallet at home when he needed it most.

Now that they were on the road, Jamie had to push back his reddish-blond hair to keep it from whipping him in the face.

_Oh God,_ Jamie finally thought. It was his senior year in high school and his knee was torn. No soccer, no cross-country, no track. _Great._ Jamie leaned his elbow on the side of the car and stared into the blackness of the night, the headlights of the car just barely illuminating the side of the rode.

. . .

Drew, who was slightly high when they went to his house, said 'oh _shit_!' when the brothers told them what happened. He let out a flurry of other obscenities about Drayton Heights as he gladly loaned them the painkillers. They weren't completely sure if it was the high or the team rivalry that made Drew loan out the prescription drugs, but they bet on the latter. Everyone hated Drayton Heights.

They were on their way back to their house now and Jamie still couldn't get a hold of their parents. He held the ringing phone to his ear. "Nothing," he said to his brother. "They never ignore their phones like this."

Finn's light eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. The brothers really looked quite similar: same blond hair that had a shimmer of red when in the sunlight hit it and the same deep brown eyes. They looked enough alike to tell they were identical, but they weren't so identical that they could take each other's place in class—no matter how hard they tried. Both of them had the similar lean, yet athletic build, but Finn was a little taller. "You tried both of them?" Finn asked, "What about their work phones?"

Finn and Jamie's parents were so called 'workaholics'. Their cell phones were almost more important to them than their children. They never missed a call, and if they didn't answer their cell, it meant that they would at least pick up their office phone. Jamie shook his head. "It just keeps on ringing,"

They were on the long stretch of highway before their house. There was no one on the road—probably because they were all indoors due to the curfew. There was an eerie feeling that came with being on a highway at night, with no other cars or signs of life. The headlights only lighting so far ahead, the rest was… black. Silent. Unseen.

Then, the headlights of the jeep began reflecting something—no, not reflecting… _illuminating_ something, something pale and white on the side of the road. At first Jamie thought someone had hit a deer and carelessly left it in the road, but this was no deer. Jamie sat up in his seat. He slowly reached out to Finn in a universal sign for 'slow down'.

Finn slowed down as they approached the object until they came to a stop, and they could see what it really was. Jamie saw the mangled arms, the torn up legs, and the face of what was once a beautiful girl.

The body had been ripped apart.

A few months ago the boys would have thought a wild animal did it, but there were much more vicious creatures roaming about.

There was nothing they could do for this girl.

Jamie swallowed hard and locked his eyes onto the floor mats in the car. Finn looked over at his brother. "Right," he shifted into gear, shaking his head as if to clear it. "We shouldn't—we shouldn't be staring like this." His choked on his words slightly. If anything, Finn was the one who could stomach all of the gore, but Jamie didn't think anyone could get used to seeing a body mutilated like that.

Finn drove around the body parts and kept going. A few mailboxes later and they were finally pulling up their long driveway. Their house was far from the road and the driveway was like a tunnel of trees. Even as they pulled up, they could tell something was wrong.

There were lights on in the house but the giant wooden door was wide open. Their parent's cars were parked in front; one of the driver's doors was open. "What the hell is going on," Finn whispered to no one in particular as he shut the jeep's engine off.

He helped Jamie out of the car and they walked up to their house together. There were keys still in the lock of the front door. Finn kicked the door open more with his foot. "Mom?" he yelled. "Dad?" They moved through the living room together.

When they entered the kitchen they saw their parent's phones haphazardly thrown onto the counter. Jamie picked one up—8 Missed calls, all from the boys. Finn pointed out all of the food that was splayed all over the floor. Bags and cans ripped open, but nothing actually looked eaten. Who goes through the trouble of opening everything but not eating anything? It looked like an animal had raided their cupboard, which could've been possible on account of the open door.

Finn began moving Jamie back into the living room to lay him on the couch. "What are you doing?" Jamie asked, helplessly attached to Finn, going wherever he went.

"My arms are tired and you need to rest," Finn's head was slowly swiveling, taking in their house like it was a foreign country. "Something's not right and I don't want you getting hurt even more because of it."

"Because I'm worthless now?" Jamie corrected.

"No," Finn scrunched his face, hurt and disgusted that Jamie would think that. He took a breath and started over. "Your knee is torn and you can't walk by yourself, and who knows when we will be able to get you proper treatment. It's best if you just rest and let it heal instead of wandering around, potentially hurting it even more." He dug into his pocket and retrieved the unmarked pill bottle and handed it to Jamie. "Take these. You'll feel better." Finn turned to continue inspecting the house.

Jamie reached for the remote and fell back onto the couch. He gently placed a pillow under his swollen knee and twirled the painkillers in his hand before popping a few in his mouth and dry-swallowing them.

He clicked on the television.

"Officials are ordering a mandatory lockdown for the entire city." The anchor on the television read. The articulate voice continued. " Tonight we have Doctor William Darnell returning to speak with us. Dr. Darnell could you please help us understand what people can do to protect themselves."

Jamie remembered seeing the man on television several of times before. He had been on the news multiple times as the face of the cure. He always looked calm and confident, but tonight he had the same expression as everyone else: fear. People were dying—no, not dying. _Changing_. The world as they knew it was ending. "I know people want to hear that we have things under control, but unfortunately this disease is spreading faster than we expected," the doctor explained.

"What I _can_ tell you," Dr. Darnell continued, "is how to look for warning signs. If you see any of the following symptoms in yourself or loved ones, there is a strict order to report to your local hospital where professionals will be able to take care of the matter. Any contact with saliva, including biting, from an infected individual will be followed by fever, cold sweats, and nausea." Jamie instantly thought of the woman in the hospital who was complaining about a fever. "At this stage we highly encourage individuals to go to the hospital where they can get professional attention."

"Doctor," the news anchor began, "could you also explain for the people at home what exactly this virus is doing."

Dr. Darnell shifted in his seat and wetted his lips. "This virus we are seeing is a side effect to the cure we were looking for. For reasons still unknown the transition from animal subjects to humans did not go smoothly. As more and more human subjects are becoming infected we are _just_ beginning to notice similarities and warning signs. Mostly these symptoms are similar to those with rabies. Symptoms like weakness, discomfort, fever, or headache usually begin to happen within an hour or so from the time of puncture. After these symptoms, many times people have gotten a severe enough fever that puts them into a coma. By the next time they wake up they have become extremely violent and unable to remember anyone around them. At this point, subjects begin craving blood and become extremely dangerous."

"Now, we all know this virus has been spreading faster than doctors can understand, but can you explain _why _people are changing this way?"

"You are correct in saying that no one really understands what is happening with the patients, but one hypothesis is that some factor in the cure made the subjects become stronger and weaker at the same time. What I mean by this is that patients show extreme strength and speed thanks to the cure, but require life of others i.e. they need other's blood to survive. They are also extremely sensitive to sunlight, which is why we consider daylight the safest. Many times with medication we see sensitivity to sunlight—this is also something we think the cure amplified."

"And just to clarify, this is not an air-born virus?" The news anchor asked.

"Correct. The only way for this virus to spread is through a bite or sometimes even a scratch. As I mentioned before, these patients have a peculiar lust for blood. Once an Infected is near a 'victim' they will attack and attempt to 'feed'." The doctor used his fingers to create air quotes.

"And this is the same thing that happened at Deerfield?"

"Correct. Our first human test subject began showing all said symptoms and awoke with an inexplicable lust for blood. He then was unable to be contained, based on unexpected conflict and strength and was able to run around the hospital looking for more people to feed from, which then infected even more people. The 'Deerfield 100' was a domino effect that got out of control and was the beginning of the entire epidemic." The doctor clenched his jaw.

"Thank you for all of the information, Doctor." The anchor didn't smile.

"I'm glad to help in any way I can," Dr. Darnell gave a weak smile back.

The box where Dr. Darnell was located disappeared, indicating the end of the interview. The woman anchor turned head to the camera and began speaking again. "Authorities still have yet to find the original Deerfield 100 and encourage everyone to stay indoors with their doors locked from sunset to sunrise. Numbers of infected have now risen to an estimated 8,400 in the Midwestern area alone and are expected to continue rising until the individuals can be detained. Until then, I'm Danielle Parker for Channel Eight News. Stay safe and God Bless."

The screen went black and the security lock down message played, a monotonous series of beeps.

That was the only thing that played in between news.

It read: Stay inside. Lock your doors.

People were changing and killing others and coming alive again and killing more. What is happening? How is this possible?

Jamie let the numbness of the painkillers lull him to sleep. His eyes began drooping shut.

That was the last time he could remember sleeping in his own house.

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	3. Kaid

**So I'm posting this one early because I think I am going to be really busy tomorrow, so I figured I'd post it early ;)**

**I also didn't get very many reviews on the last chapter so please, please, please, let me know what you guys are thinking/liking about this story! I don't really care about the numbers, but I care about what you guys think! Truly!**

**This chapter introduces ANOTHER main character (which will be the last one for a while) and he also meets another character we already know**

**ENJOY**

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Chapter 3 – Kaid

_1 Month –__** Before**_

It was bad. Kaid didn't think it would get this bad, but it had.

Streets seemed to always be abandoned, houses were boarded up, and it seemed that there were more of those _things_ than there were humans—especially in the cities. The cities were where it had gotten really bad, really fast. Humans had been forced into hiding.

Kaid stuck to the woods and the country. There were less Infected out here. He had packed a large camping backpack weeks ago and has been on his own ever since. He was lucky his father taught him survival at a young age.

Before Kaid was eight he was taught how to build a fire, find water and shelter. At age nine he could shoot a gun. At ten he could kill, gut, and cook a deer. When Kaid was ten and a half, his father died.

It must've been his survival instinct that told him to flee the city, but now, he regretted it. After countless sleepless nights of being on guard, he needed human contact and a partner.

He tried to keep occupied by taking hikes every day. He told himself that he was checking the perimeter for any threats, but it was more like an excuse to keep him from going stir crazy.

He took the same trek almost every day. His camp consisted of an old abandoned cottage, so he walked about a mile radius around it. Looking out for any rouge Infected, collecting supplies, and getting water were the main missions he sent himself on.

The cottage was great. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a fireplace in the living room. The electricity was spotty and he didn't risk using anything brighter than a lantern in the attracted_ them. _They seemed to be really good hunters, which was a terrifying thing at night when they had the upper hand. During Kaid's time spent running from the Infected, he had gathered a list of things that attracted the Infected (a.k.a. a list of things NOT to do in order to survive).

No smoke, or lights that attracted attention. The Infected didn't need heat or light to survive so they looked for things like this to pick out humans.

No loud noises, like guns or screaming. They could hear things like that from miles away.

Bathe regularly. They have a heightened sense of smell and are particularly attracted to the scent of sweat and-

Blood. Never, by any means, get cut and bleed. They can and will track you, even if it takes a matter of days. They will find you.

Kaid had been extremely careful and mindful of his moves. He made these rules and lived by them. That's why he was still alive. He wasn't stupid. He was smart.

Right now, he was going out to get more water and to bathe. There was a small river about an hour walk away from the cottage and that was where he was heading. There was no need to lock anything, so Kaid shut the door and began hiking.

The land was relatively flat, but it was hot, and he still was sweating, not to mention Kaid was running out of water. He needed to get to the river soon. His white shirt began sticking to his back from the humidity and his sweat. He had collected a few empty milk jugs and had strung them across his back. They clunked as he walked.

There was a large blade sheathed in his belt and a gun holstered on his hip too. Kaid preferred using a knife. It was quiet. Bullets were loud and let the _things_ know he was out there. Rule No 2. The gun was for quick, last resort situations only, and Kaid did not get snuck up on very often, so he used a knife for protection. Plus, who had time to look for extra ammunition.

Kaid had to remind himself not to get fooled by the peacefulness of the calm woods. He always had to be on guard, but for now, in the daylight, he was okay and he let his mind rest.

The Infected couldn't stand the sunlight. Something about the cure had made their skin more vulnerable to the sun, so they rarely ever wandered around during the day. Kaid tried to sleep as much as he could during the day so he could be on guard at night. He also took long trips, like this one to the river and his perimeter checks, during the day too. It was safer that way, less Infected running around.

But still, every so often a brave Infected would risk their life just to get a drop of blood. It happened to Kaid once. He unknowingly walked past an Infected's territory. It came out of its cave and attacked Kaid in the middle of the day. It came out into the sunlight and immediately attacked Kaid without a second thought. It hissed and snapped its fangs at Kaid, drool snaking its way down its chin, threating to infect Kaid. Its eyes were red, bloodthirsty, and crazed. It fought hard to get any blood, but in the end, the sun weakened it. When it first came out of the cave, its skin began to turn red like a bad sunburn. Not much longer did its skin begin to boil and blister. Kaid had fallen to his back, knife fallen out of his reach, and had to fight off the Infected with his bare hands. With the Infected on top of him, Kaid had to reach up and grab the Infected's shoulders to push it away. Its skin started peeling at that point, and not the clean "like a snake" way either. The Infected's skin peeled away, exposing blood, muscles, and bone. In its obvious weakened state, Kaid was able to roll on top of it, reach his knife, and kill it with a stab to the heart. Kaid's hands had been covered in a dark red slime of melting flesh from trying to fight it off. He didn't want to see what happened when they baked in the sun much longer. It was disgusting.

Now at the river, Kaid began filling up his empty canisters with water and then set them on the bank. Kaid counted his lucky stars that his backpack had contained a bar of soap leftover from a previous camping trip before the cure hit. He wasn't sure he would be able to find another bar of soap any time soon. The stores were picked over and he also didn't want to risk going back into the city for a measly bar of soap.

He started peeling off his sweaty clothes and draped them over a log that was half submerged in the water. His sweaty, salty scent was all over his clothes. He would have to wash them, but first, he had to wash himself.

The water always seemed to get colder just as it met his bare hips. Covered in Goosebumps, he sucked in a quick breath before diving under. While submerged, he scratched his scalp and washed under his arms with soap, suds drifted away with the current. After he came up for air he ran his fingers through his black hair. He really needed to find a way to cut it, he thought. Kaid rubbed the water out of his eyes, and as he opened them he saw a girl, mid-crouch on the bank of the river, with several of his water canisters in her hands. She had a full head of curly blonde hair that was fighting a losing battle against the humidity. Her blue eyes widened when she realized she had been caught. A small gasp escaped from her parted lips. She began to run.

"Hey!" Kaid growled. He struggled against the water as he began to run after her. He would have kept shouting at her, but there was that pesky Rule No. 2.

His feet had calloused over by now and he was running barefoot after her. Kaid never really considered himself athletic or muscular until the Infected started sprouting out. After that, there was a good reason to stay in shape. Even if Kaid had become a good runner, this girl was hard to keep up with.

He caught up to the girl and reached for her shoulders and tackled her. She let out a small screech. In the midst of them falling, Kaid had made sure he ended up on top, In fact, Kaid was straddling the girl as they landed, his hand around her neck. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, his warm breath on her neck, "What the hell?" He stole back his milk jugs of water. "These are mine. Get your own damn jugs." His voice was low, serious, and threatening.

Sure it was a stupid thing to get angry and tackle someone over, but things were different now. It literally was survival of the fittest.

The girl managed, "I'm sorry," even though Kaid was clasping her throat.

He looked at he blonde girl, _really_ looked at her. Her eyes were the shade of blue that people traveled hundreds of miles to see in an ocean. Deep blue. Despite having blonde hair, her lashes were dark and rimmed her entire eye, like natural eyeliner. There was a faint shimmer of sweat on her flushed cheeks. She had full, parted lips and her shirt had been misplaced from the rough landing, exposing most of her cleavage and a purple bra.

It was then that Kaid remembered he was naked.

"Shit," he cursed and quickly got off of her. He could feel his cheeks begin to flush as soon as he realized what a terrible predicament he was in. He did the best he could to cover himself.

"Here," the girl said. Kaid barely lifted his head, unable to meet her eyes, but saw that she had untied her flannel shirt that had been wrapped around her waist and was offering it to him. There was the faint hint of a hidden smile on her lips.

Kaid bit the inside of his cheek as he took her offering. The torso of the shirt covered his backside, and the sleeves just barely covered his front. "Thanks," he finally managed. "But you still can't steal my water." He began walking back to the river where his clothes were, not looking back at the girl.

"Come on," the girl whined. She started following Kaid. "Look, I've been out here for two weeks and I ran out of water two days ago. Just please at least let me take one."

"I said no." Kaid was finally able to put his own pants on and threw the flannel shirt back at the girl, but fell short at her feet. Neither of them picked it up. He left his shirt off for a good negotiation strategy. Like he said, he _had _been working out, and it showed through his defined chest. What can he say; he hadn't seen a pretty human girl in a long time, he thought he'd show off, but just because she was pretty doesn't mean she was getting his milk jugs. "Find your own and fill them up here, I don't care. I don't own the river, but I need those for water for my camp." Kaid started gathering the rest of his clothes—his shirt, his belt and weapons, and his backpack.

The girl was silent for a while before she finally asked, "You have a camp set up? Are there other people there?" The way she asked didn't make it seem like she was wondering whether or not he had a place to stay, but rather whether or not she could stay with him.

Incredulous, Kaid turned to her and replied, "I just attacked you for trying to steal my water. What makes you think that we'd be camping buddies? And no. It's just me." There had never been anyone else. Not for miles.

Her faced scrunched. "You know, the way this world is ending, you'd think it would be a time for humans to start uniting, not fighting." She bent down to finally retrieve her shirt. "You don't have to be such a _dick_!" And she began stomping away.

He was going to say something about what stealing from other people had to do with humans uniting, but he left it alone.

Kaid had lived with a single mother long enough to slightly begin to understand how women work. Despite the girl being responsible for stealing, Kaid was the one responsible for wrongdoing. He dropped his head and gave a long sigh. "Wait," he called. The girl stopped and turned to look back at him. "I'll let you stay for a few nights."

"Really?" Her voice raised an octave.

"Really." He hoisted his backpack onto his shoulders. "Do you have anything else with you?" he asked.

The blonde girl shook her head slightly, but her curls still bounced. She gestured at herself, "this is all I have."

"All right then. We better get walking so we get back before sunset." He handed her a jug of water to carry and drink. She chugged it greedily.

"Thank you," she said softly. Kaid didn't reply.

They didn't speak most of the way back, but birds chirped and dead leaves crunched beneath their feet, which filled the silence. Finally the girl broke the silence, "I never caught your name," she started.

Kaid kept his eyes ahead, looking at the girl in his peripheral, "Kaid. You?"

"I'm Andie. Andrea, really, but everyone calls me—well, used to call me Andie." She used her hands when she talked, even though she didn't need to.

His lips turned up into a very small, very quick smile. "Good to know, but we shouldn't get too close. You're only staying for a couple of days." He said sternly.

"Right," Andie talked slower and quieter, like she was talking only to herself. "Right." She stared forward as if she were unsure of what her future held. She wasn't the only one. Every survivor out there, including Kaid, had no idea of what to do next. All Kaid could think do was survive long enough for this 'cure' to die off and let nature take its course.

They approached the cabin just as the sky was turning orange. Kaid shucked off his backpack and locked the door behind him; he shut the curtains too. Since _they_ were so strong, locking the door didn't do much; _they _could bust through easily, but it still helped Kaid feel more secure. "There's about an hour before nightfall. Try and get some rest," he continued checking and locking things up. "I'll take the first watch and we can switch on and off the rest of the night." He placed daggers and hand carved stakes on the dining table.

Andie was standing in the living room, still taking in the wooden cabin. She looked over at Kaid, watching him shut everything up. "You really have everything thought out don't you?"

"I wouldn't still be here if I didn't." He pointed to a bedroom. "There's a bed in there you can sleep on. If you need me I'll be in here," he sat on the couch, which had seen better days. "And if you see or hear anything, please, for the love of God, don't scream. Come and get me." He thought that this girl better not be a liability. _Just a few days_, he reminded himself. He folded his arms, corded with muscles, across his chest, and rested his head on the couch, shutting his eyes, but not allowing himself to fall asleep.

Andie looked at Kaid, suppressing a smile, but failed, and said, "I won't. Thanks again for letting me stay. I'll only be a few nights. I promise." She turned and shut herself in the room.

The 'few nights' ended up being a few months. They stuck through the winter together and Andie was a better fighter than Kaid had thought. Granted he had to teach her quite a bit, but she was a good student just as he was a good teacher.

Kaid had not minded being alone, but now they could take shifts during the night and watch each other's back. Surviving was actually a lot easier than he had expected. Andie was a lot better than he expected too.

And he was okay with that.

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	4. Jamie

**So this chapter is considered Present Day and we are in Jamie's POV**

**PSA: I'm starting to wonder whether or not I should keep posting this because I'm not getting a lot of feedback, which makes me feel like not a lot of people like this/ don't want to read this. So if you DO like this **_PLEASE REVIEW_** and keep the story going. I have no idea what you guys are thinking. Even if you don't like it, tell me how I can fix it-that's what comments are for. PLEASE let me know what you are thinking!**

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Chapter 4 – Jamie

_7 Months Later – Present Day_

Everyone has his or her addictions. Everyone has their demons that they battle everyday. For some people it's drugs, or alcohol, or sex. Sometimes it can be harmless things like eating too much, or interrupting too often. Jamie's addiction was far from harmless, but he tried to keep it in check. For now, he could control it, but everyday was like fighting a battle, and he prayed to God that he would never lose it.

The thing that was the worst about addictions was that they were pleasurable. Most of the time, addicts knew that what they were doing was bad for them, but that didn't stop them because in their mind, the good outweighed the bad. This is why so many people struggled with addiction. They knew it was bad, but the didn't want to stop. They knew indulging in their addiction would only lead to disaster. Some people indulged anyway, and some people fought it.

Jamie tried to fight it.

"Adams! Diaz! Murphy! Parker! Woodman!" Jamie could hear Finn's authoritative voice boom against the bare, brick walls of the hospital basement. "You all are going scouting with me. Get your bags packed and be ready in five!"

A few months back, Jamie and Finn had run into a man who knew of a safe place to stay. He led them to an old abandoned mental hospital that had been built on an island about two miles off the coast. The only way of getting on or off the island was a rowboat. It was the perfect place to hide from the Duskies—the monsters who were now plaguing the world. Together, with a few other people, they eventually built up the old hospital into a safe haven.

There were three guard towers where someone was always assigned to be on watch and the island was surrounded completely by fresh water. So far, no Duskie had been desperate enough to try and swim the distance from the coast to the island. As far as they knew the Duskies had no idea there were humans on the island. They hoped to keep it that way.

There were about a hundred or so people living here from ages two to ninety-two. They had let in almost everyone in the beginning, but now space was getting limited. However, it didn't matter much anymore, since people had slowly stopped coming.

There were barred doors to every room, which didn't do much for privacy, but helped with protection. Just in case a Duskie was able to sneak inside the hospital, the residences had a safe place to bunker down. At one point, someone thought of putting up sheets to act as a door, which ended up catching on. It was a little barbaric to think that the hospital used to keep mental patients in what looked like cages, but it _was_ an insane asylum that had been built in the 1800s—barbaric was the norm back then.

People didn't have to leave the island if they didn't want to, but the healthy and fit people left every so often to gather food and supplies (the freshwater surrounding the island offered an endless supply of water). There was also a small vegetable garden and a few cows, pigs, and chickens. It had been a long time coming, but now they were almost completely self-sustainable.

Everyone had a job, whether it be cleaning, gardening, purifying water, cooking or even babysitting. This way everyone did his or her part and the island ran smoothly. There were also people that they called Runners, which was what Finn and the others were doing now—running errands. They had grabbed the suggestion sheet from the lobby and were ready to leave at dawn. The suggestion sheet was a place where people could write down what they needed from the mainland, and the Runners would go and get it. "Are we ready yet?" he called out as the Runners gathered bags and weapons from lockers. Basically anyone who could keep up was allowed on the trips, but most people only came if they were capable of fighting off a Duskie. Elderly and children often stayed back.

Jamie silently came from around the corner. "Are you sure you don't want me to help this time?" his voice sounded weaker than he anticipated.

"Save your energy," Finn said. He must've noticed his brother's tired tone. Of course he did. Finn always checked to make sure Jamie was okay. He would notice if Jamie had a paper cut. "I'll get you everything you need, okay? You still have enough to get you through the day though, right?"

Jamie glanced at the person that walked past them before he answered. Their voices were low as they talked. "Yeah, I have enough." Jamie looked paler than usual. This was usually a sign that he had been missing doses.

"And you've been having some _every day_, right? That's what Doc said. Everyday to keep it under control." Finn looked at Jamie from under his lashes. He knew Jamie struggled with this, but they didn't have a choice. "Jamie, if you miss a day, you know how you get." He corrected himself. "_I_ know how you get, and I can see it now. I'm just trying to protect you and keep you healthy. I don't want you to—" Finn shook his head. When he spoke again, it was in a much softer tone. "I can't lose my brother, not after Mom and Dad." Finn finished.

Jamie had heard this time and time again. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I'll be better about it, and I'll always let you know if anything goes wrong." He answered the same way every time too.

Finn smiled and clapped a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "That's my Jamie,"

Jamie gave a weak smile and said, "Promise next time that I get to go with you," he glanced over his shoulder. "If I have to stay one more day in this place with Mrs. Powell I think I might puke. She keeps calling me 'sweet cheeks' and 'stud she wouldn't mind bending over for'." Finn laughed at that. "Jesus, Finn, it's _not_ funny." Jamie hit his brother. "The old lady is as wide as I am tall and sweats when she eats. I'm sorry, but the broad will never get _anything_ anytime soon. And if she slaps my ass one more time—"

"Okay," Finn managed between giggles. "Okay. You and I can head out on our own tomorrow to get whatever you need. You know what you like so I won't bother with it today."

"Thank you," Jamie sighed in relief. He was getting cabin fever on the island. He needed an open space to breathe.

"Just stick with Doc for today." Finn suggested. "You know he likes it when you help him out."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Jamie said, half listening. "Be careful out there." He gave Finn a quick hug before he left with the others. Jamie watched them from the door as they all climbed into a boat. It was dawn, and there was just enough light for them to be able to start their mission and get home before it was dark again.

Jamie turned and walked out of what they made into a locker room. This was in the basement of the old hospital and had an exit that lead right to shore.

The hospital had been built on a small cliff that dropped off, had some beach, and then ended in water. The basement/locker room was the only direct route to the beach, unless you wanted to climb down a sheer cliff.

The next few levels were rooms where people stayed. During the day, people were working, so it was eerily quiet as Jamie made his way up the steps.

He remembered how hard it had been getting up these steps when he had first got here. He used to limp and slowly take one stair at a time due to his improperly healed knee. Not anymore. He didn't have a limp or a torn knee to worry about anymore. Not after what happened.

Finally, he reached the main level. There was a lobby with two more wooden staircases on either side that led up to more luxurious rooms. That's where he and Finn stayed, along with Doc and a few others. They were some of the first people to get this place organized and up and running so they claimed the nicer rooms. They were the closest things they had to leaders here also, so naturally they got the presidential suites.

Jamie bypassed going to his room and headed to the Infirmary. That's where Doc was most of the time.

As he passed people working, cleaning, and cooking, he could feel their eyes on him. He could hear the whispers that never stopped about him. Some of the older people knew the truth—had been here when it happened, but never talked about it with the newer people. Some newer people had heard the rumors and some people avoided him completely or left the room when Jamie came in. He tried his best to ignore it. He didn't care what they thought. He knew he would never hurt anyone and that's all that mattered.

Finally, Jamie made it to the Infirmary. There were white metal beds with white mattresses and white sheets that lined the long, white, rectangular room. There were Gothic-styled arched windows along the entire wall that illuminated the room naturally. Jamie kept his eyes down and squinted. The light from the sun, combined with the white interior was plenty enough to irritate his eyes.

There were a few people in the beds, some coughing, and one with a broken arm and they had nurses helping them out. They all silenced their conversations once Jamie entered the room.

In a confined space like the abandoned hospital, disease could spread around quickly so anyone, even with a common cold, was sent here.

Only one had been sent here because they had been bitten...

Doc was predictably in the lab since it was where he usually spent his time. In the beginning, Runners had supplied him with everything he needed for his studies and for the infirmary. The island truly was the best and safest place to be in this day and age.

Doc looked up from a microscope and flinched, "Jamie!" he placed a hand over his rapidly beating heart. "You snuck up on me. You're so quiet."

"Sorry," Jamie pulled up a stool and sat on it. "I'll knock next time."

Doc waved his hand. "Oh, it's nothing to be sorry about. How are you feeling?" Doc always asked this. No matter who you were or how you were feeling, he always asked about your health. Jamie wondered if it was a doctor thing. He never really knew a doctor personally before Doc. Or maybe Doc was just always curious.

"Fine, I guess." He lied. He missed a dose this morning and he always felt sluggish when he missed a dose. Miss two doses and he was on edge. Miss three and… well, you probably didn't want to be around him when he missed three doses in a row.

"Still been taking it everyday?" Doc asked. His eye was glued to his microscope.

"Yepp," Jamie's eyes wandered around the room to the lab tables stacked with Doc's disjointed notes—notes about Jamie; sample vials—vials with Jamie's blood; the cupboards, the refrigerator, and the operating table…

Jamie shivered. "Yeah, I've been taking it everyday."

"Good, good." Doc twisted a knob on the microscope.

"Yeah, I think Finn and I are going to head out on our own tomorrow and stock up."

"Excellent." Doctors were really good fake-listeners, Jamie thought. Doc was always doing something so Jamie was used to the one-sided conversation. Despite this, Doc truly cared about the twins like they were his own sons.

Jamie sat there for a while, watching Doc. He went from the lab table, to a drawer, picked up some long tool, back to the counter and back to another drawer only to make it halfway and turn around again. He was busy scribbling some notes down when he finally spoke. Jamie couldn't imagine how many thoughts ran through his head at once. He seemed so collected whenever he was making a presence elsewhere, but in the lab his mind was on overdrive. "Jamie, are you sure you're okay?" he asked out of the blue. Jamie thought Doc's mind was somewhere else, and not focused on Jamie.

"Yeah, I said that before—"

"I'm a Doctor, Jamie, you can trust me with anything you tell me," Doc looked at Jamie through his thick-framed glasses. He was right; Doc was the only person besides Finn that he could _really_ talk to, about _everything_.

"Yeah, I know." He took a breath. "I didn't take my dose this morning."

"Jamie—"

"I know. You don't have to lecture me about it. I know I shouldn't do that, but I thought I could handle it. I feel… achy all over right before I take my dose, like my body is really craving it, so I was trying to fight it, but I'm starting to think that I can't. Sometimes I feel like the doses aren't enough."

"Do you think you are getting worse?" Doc asked in a 'you're getting worse but I don't want to worry you' voice.

"No!" Jamie said quickly and then collected himself. "No, I'm not getting worse." He wasn't getting worse, _was he_? "It's just—I don't know."

"Let me look at you," Doc began inspecting Jamie. He used a dim, small flashlight to test his eyes. Jamie had to resist the urge to squint. "Do you still have sensitivity to bright light?" Doc asked. Jamie nodded as Doc leaned in. "Your pupils are still slightly more dilated than normal which accounts for the sensitivity, and you are beginning to get some discoloration." Doc clicked the light off. "Better get that dose in soon," Doc said with a smile. He used a tongue depressor, not to inspect his mouth, but inspect his teeth, "Minor elongation on the canines, but nothing anyone should notice."

He used a stethoscope to listen to his breathing, and also his heart, his slow, barely beating heart. "Everything is the same as last time." He moved his hands down to Jamie's knee—his perfectly working knee. "Amazing," Doc breathed as if he had discovered a miracle, which, he sort of did. Jamie's knee was healed and he never had any kind of surgery. "You look the same as our last check up. Let me take a saliva sample and I can compare it to the others to be certain." Doc put on a pair of gloves and carefully swabbed the inside of Jamie's cheek and then cautiously put a plastic cover on the sample.

"I'll tell you what," Doc admired the encased saliva sample with scientific curiosity. "One day, we're going to find a way to reverse all of this. Doesn't it feel amazing to be a part of it?"

"Remarkable," Jamie mumbled sarcastically.

Doc pursed his lips. "How about you go back to your room and take a dose. Then let me know if that makes you feel any better. If it doesn't then we will start doing two doses a day. Nothing to be worried about." He said nonchalantly.

Jamie nodded and left Doc to his work. He thought that he never saw Doc stand still, unless he was inspecting something. He was always doing something, or helping someone, or researching something. That's probably what got him into this mess in the first place.

You see, Doc wasn't just any doctor, but one of the doctors that had created the cure. Dr. Darnell to be exact, the one who had been on the news. He had pleaded his way on to the island in its early stages and had been somewhat disguised ever since. He died his hair black (Finn always had to look for black hair dye when he went Running), and switched his glasses, which was surprisingly enough to keep the new people fooled. Most of the population hated his guts because technically he was responsible for turning the world to shit, but now, because of Jamie, he was certain he was close to a cure—a cure to the cure. An antidote.

Jamie slid his hand along the mahogany hand railing as he walked up the steps to his room. The lobby was quite elegant with a giant, hand woven rug, hardwood floors, a crystal chandelier, and giant staircases that lead up to the master suites on the upper level balcony. The asylum was built in an era of innovation for the mental hospitals. This place was like fine wine that only got better with age—that's how beautiful the architecture was.

Jamie eventually reached his room, shut and locked his door. He turned on a lamp before he leaned his hands on the desk and opened the long drawer. Several vials rolled from the sudden burst of motion. Jamie shakily picked one up and looked at it.

These were his doses, a predetermined amount that he was allotted a day. Too much and he would lose it, too little and he would lose it.

He knew that _this_ was what he needed, what his body craved, but giving into this addiction only fed the demon inside.

He knew he should probably be concerned that he has been craving it more often, but he didn't care. All he wanted was the salty liquid in his mouth. He wanted to feel the life it gave him, the boost of energy. The high.

He twisted off the black top. Excess liquid dripped onto his hand, leaving a mini scarlet puddle. He licked it up greedily, already feeling the liquid run down his throat and reviving every muscle it touched. He placed the vial to his lips, tipped his head back, and downed the rest of the blood. He closed his eyes as the blood gave him a new energy.

There was a mirror over the desk. He looked into it.

He looked human. His eyes were completely brown. No red. His teeth were flat and straight. His skin had a faint flush to it.

This is how he kept it under control. This is how he kept people fooled.

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	5. 5 Andie

**My updates may get spread out a little more, but i'll still try to get them out about a week apart **

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Chapter 5 – Andie

The blinding rays of sun snuck through the tightly closed curtains and found their way to Andie's closed eyelids. She groaned and threw her arm over her eyes. Normally she would wake to see it going down, but today her and Kaid had different plans.

She threw the comforter off her legs and felt the coolness of the morning nip at her bare legs. Her arms mindlessly drifted over to where Kaid had been the whole night, wanting to pull him close, but he was no longer there. His warmth was gone. She was the only one in the bed. He always woke up before her.

The old, thin, wooden door squeaked as she opened it, wiping crust away from her eyes. She saw Kaid leaning against the kitchen counter, cutting up an apple with his knife and chewing each slice. He was still in the loose, blue pajama pants that he had worn to bed and he was naked from the waist up. She admired his chest, if only momentarily. It had been sculpted and defined through months of training. And his arms…God, she loved to be held close by those protective arms.

"Morning," Andie yawned, getting his attention.

Kaid looked up and smiled, responding with a mouthful of apple, "Hey." He swallowed, staring at her.

She was only wearing a pair of shorts and a sports bra. They had been living together for so long that Andie was comfortable showing so much skin. Kaid, however, never failed to be pleasantly surprised by it.

They had been sleeping in the same bed together (in the same amount of clothes that they were in now) for a few months now, so Andie didn't see what the big deal was. She found a clearing on the counter and hopped up on it, taking a slice of Kaid's apple.

"There's a few more apples if you want." He pointed out. "I have some deer for later too."

"I'm good with this," With a smile she grabbed another slice of the precut apple. "So," she wiped away some juice from the corner of her mouth. "Today's the big day?"

Kaid sighed, "Unfortunately." He hated going into the city, but it was on Andie's request that they go. They were running out of canned food and water and she needed _supplies_. What an annoying time to be a girl.

"Everything will go smoothly." She promised. Kaid gave her a look before he pushed back his dark hair in annoyance. "I hope so," he said.

Andie had to admit, at first, going out on trips like this was a little exhilarating in the fact that at any moment they could get caught, but after a while, the excitement faded. Now, it was a chore they had to do; they always had to be on guard. Infected usually stayed out of the sunlight, but it wasn't uncommon for some to find shelter in dark buildings. And you didn't want to walk into one of those buildings.

Andie gave him a cheesy smile through her chewing, and he gave one right back before he turned his head, smiling. "The things I do for you,"

"Shut up," she lightly punched his chest.

Andie was the one who initiated the kiss, pulling his hard chin toward her. She wrapped her hands around Kaid's hipbones and pulled him close between her legs. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers, warm and alive. Once their bodies touched, she clasped her hands around his back and pushed her lips against his. She could feel a faint smile play across his lips as he willingly kissed back. His hands explored her back and up into her hair, tugging ever so lightly. Her heart began to flutter like it wanted beat out of her chest to get even closer to Kaid.

Kaid was the one who pulled away first. Andie could only hope her sigh wasn't audible.

He was still holding her close as he murmured against her lips. "We will have time for this later," Kaid pushed off the counter and took a step back. "We're burning daylight right now, so let's get going."

He smiled as he turned away to walk across the small kitchen to push the squeaky screen door open. The spring wound up and snapped the door shut after he left. She watched him through the windows as he collected laundry off the line.

Back in the bedroom, Andie starting preparing her gear as well. A few months in, Kaid and her had begun sharing a bedroom. Neither or them planned on it happening, but it did. It wasn't like they'd _slept _together, but they did sleep in the same bed together. They had kept each other warm during the winter and it just stuck.

Andie put on a pair of cargo pants and pulled a gray shirt over her head. Previous trips into the city consisted of raiding clothing stores, so they both had a reasonable amount of clothes. Lastly, she pulled on her hiking boots, grabbed a backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

She walked out to see that Kaid had stolen clothes from the clean pile on the table and had gotten ready himself. There were water canisters, stakes, rope, extra food, and knives all being stuffed into his backpack. He was organizing the contents when Andie walked out.

"Ready whenever you are," she said. He looked up and gave her a hunting knife. She always carried one now. How could she forget? "Thanks," She replied and stuffed the knife into her belt.

Kaid had his own weapons tucked away. Andie didn't think they would really run into any Infected since the sun was up, but it was better safe than sorry.

"Let's go. If we waste any more time here, we will get stuck out there at night." Kaid always seemed tense when they left the cottage. Andie thought he felt as if he had to protect both of them, that if anything were to happen it would be his fault entirely.

"We will be fine," Andie kept reminding him.

"Walk and talk," Kaid replied automatically. He said this to Andie quite frequently.

Walking to the city took about three hours according to how high the sun was now. They had about another three hours to collect as much as they could, which left plenty of time for them to get home in the daylight.

As they entered the city, skeletons of cars lay motionless in the middle and on the side of the road. Most of the cars had already been scavenged but Andie ended up finding some rope and two flashlights, which she shoved into her backpack.

The city was more like a small town with one main drag. There was an eerie silence to the place, but that's just how it was these days. In Andie's mind, silence was better than the growling and howling of the Infected. Glass crunched under Andie's boots and she noticed that the first few stores had windows busted out and burnt walls. Signs had fallen to the ground and foliage grew over the sidewalks. Across a crosswalk, in red spray painted letters, were the words: INFECTED ZONE. LEAVE NOW.

"Up here," Kaid called. She jerked her head to see where Kaid was calling.

Andie hurried to catch up to him. He was in front of a small convenience store, which look relatively untouched. Jackpot.

When they pushed open the door a small bell rang which sounded entirely too loud in the silence.

They had to venture all the way to the back to the store to find the canned food. Involuntarily, Andie's stomach growled—after all she only had an apple to eat this morning. She reached out and blindly took a can off the metal shelf. She cut her knife into the top of the can and greedily slurped up its contents. Kaid did the same.

She moaned ever so softly as the hearty soup soothed her empty stomach. She finished the first can much too quickly and had already begun opening another. In her rush, the knife slipped and split the meaty part of her palm.

She cursed under her breath causing Kaid to look over. "Shit, shit, shit, shit," she frantically held her hand. _Stop bleeding. Stop bleeding_, she repeated.

"It's okay," Kaid soothed, already ripped a piece of his shirt to wrap around her hand. "We're fine. There's nothing here."

And then, just like that, a terrible, inhuman scream pierced the silence.

"Get into the sun." Kaid ordered lowly, pointing to the front door of the store. His eyes were wide and looking at the dark, open doorway that looked like a basement. Why hadn't they seen that before? "Go!" He pushed her up and began following her, but they were too late. An infected had emerged from whatever basement it had been hiding in and it sprang at the two of them and tackled Kaid to the floor, its jaw snapping too close to his neck for comfort.

"Kaid!" Andie screamed and lunged at the two of them. Her knife drove home in the monster's back and it howled again, whirling around, lips curled up into a snarl, and fangs bared. There was dried blood all the way down the front of it, but thankfully no fresh blood. It hissed at Andie and stalked her down so that she backed into a shelf, and she was now weaponless. She had to get a hand on her knife in its back.

Andie heard more Infected rousing at the sound of the fight. Kaid lay on the floor, barely conscious of what was going on. "Kaid!" she yelled again trying to wake him while the Infected was still lurking toward her.

Her hand gripped a hard can and threw it at the Infected with all her might. The heavy can sailed and hit home with a terrible thud, yet the Infected was unfazed—perhaps even angrier now—and it growled as it reached out for her bloody hand in a hungry lunge.

Quickly, Andie pulled the shelf down and sidestepped out of the way of the falling weight. It crumpled the Infected to the ground and she was able to pull her knife out of its back. Now she could fight.

But there were more waking up in the basement, far too many for her to take on by herself, and she could hear them starting to sense blood. Small snarls turned in to feral cries. She was lucky to even get the upper hand while fighting one, how was she supposed to take on an entire nest?

Unfortunately, the small amount of indirect light in the back of the store did little to slow them down. They were still strong and fast as hell.

One of them came at her and pulled her to the ground. It toppled on top of her and snapped its fangs. Cords of toxic saliva dripped from its mouth. Using her legs, where all her power was, Andie kneed the monster to keep it as far away from her as possible. She couldn't help but scream, "KAID!"

There was a deafening bang after that, which rang in her ears. The Infected looked up and it gave Andie the opportunity to stab the monster in the heart with her knife. It's red eyes glazed over and its body went limp and fell heavily onto Andie. She struggled to get the dead body off of her, and as soon as she was free, she came up onto her knees and saw two people dressed in all black with black helmets, but Kaid was nowhere to be seen. One of them was still fighting the remaining Infected (he was fighting pretty well, if she must say so herself) and the other one offered a hand to her.

She hesitated. The one standing over her knelt down and pulled off his helmet. A handsome blonde boy with chocolate brown eyes greeted her. Human. "It's okay," he breathed heavily like he had been running. "We're human. Your friend is safe, but we have to get out into the sunlight before I can explain much more."

She nodded wordlessly and took the strangers hand. As they reached the store's door the boy turned and yelled for his partner, "Jamie! Come on!" With a frustrated growl, he pushed her out just before he turned back to help 'Jamie'.

As Andie walked onto the street she saw Kaid leaning against a motorcycle, rubbing his head. "Thank God!" she breathed and ran to hug Kaid. "What the hell is going on?" she whispered.

He hugged her tightly back and his breath was heavy in her ear. "I don't know." He smoothed her hair as much as her curls allowed. "Are you okay? Are you bitten?" he pulled away and inspected her.

"No. No" She was just beginning to catch her breath when the two boys in black reached them. "I'm fine."

The blonde boy who helped her came up to the bike, helmet in hand, but the one he called Jamie kept his helmet on. The helmets were also black, with a shaded visor and a chin guard. Now that Andie was looking, they both had on black that covered their entire body, which Andie assumed was due to the fact that they rode motorcycles. Their jackets were zipped up to their necks; gloves covered their hands and their pants faded into their black combat boots.

The Jamie person walked up to the other motorcycle and threw a leg over it like he was going to drive away. The other boy had no intentions of leaving just quite yet. He held out a hand.

"My name's Finn, and that's my brother Jamie." He pointed his thumb at Jamie, who still had yet to show his face.

Andie looked over her shoulder. Jamie seemed uninterested.

"I'm Kaid—" Kaid began introducing, "and this is my—" he cleared is throat. "This is Andie."

"Nice to meet you." Finn smiled. He had a nice smile that dimpled in one corner. He seemed like the type of boy who would have been on the honor roll, the Student Council President, and most likely an athlete. An All-American boy.

"How the hell did you find us?" Kaid asked.

Finn wordlessly looked to his brother and answered, "Just luck I guess. We were in the area,"

Jamie murmured something, but under his helmet, which wrapped around his chin, so the words were lost.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Andie spat. She was getting a little annoyed with this Jamie kid.

Angrily, he tore off his helmet, hair tufted up in all different ways. It made him look young.

_Woah_, Andie thought, _twins_.

He squinted against the sunlight. "I said 'Who the hell goes into a town that was clearly marked as an infected zone'." He threw out an arm to indicate the spray painted words.

Good point, but Andie wasn't going to let him have this one. "We could've handled it."

Jamie gave a smug grin before he put his helmet on. He jerked his chin, signaling Finn to follow him.

Finn rolled his eyes, looking back at the two of them. "Look, long story short. We have a safe compound that is entirely protected from Duskies—"

"Duskies?" Kaid interrupted.

Finn gave a small smile. "You know, because the Infected only come out at dusk? Anyway, we have a few more open rooms available and we're always looking for new faces. Safety in numbers, you know?. What do you say?"

"Sounds too good to be true." Andie said sadly.

"What's the catch?" Kaid questioned.

Shaking his head slightly, Kaid said, "No catch. Really, you'll be safe there. It's on an island so it's basically impossible for any Duskie to reach it. You can at least come check it out and if you don't want to stay then you can go back to wherever it is you two have been staying. But look, it's getting late and I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing I left you two out here to fend for yourselves." He raised his eyebrows. "What do you say?"

Andie was sure she heard a grumbled retort come from Jamie. Her assumption was confirmed when she saw Finn give a hard glance at his brother.

She looked up at Kaid who was slightly taller than she was. Could there really be a place where there were no Infected/Duskies? What did Kaid think of all of this? Did he buy this?

"We'll check it out," Kaid confirmed.

"Great!" Finn's All-American smile was back. "Sorry, we only have the bikes right now. One of you will have to come with me and the other go with Jamie, but the ride isn't very far from here."

Andie knew right then that she was going to ride with Jamie. Call it fate, call it karma, but she was going to have to ride with the cranky twin. "Fine," she stomped over to Jamie's bike and helped herself onto the seat. She must've miscalculated her balance because she began to fall to one side. Her hands instantly gripped Jamie's sides and his hands quickly shot down to catch her. They stayed there for a moment before he pulled away.

"Word for the wise: don't shift around too much or we'll crash." Jamie's helmeted head, which was turned to the side as he talked, faced forward. He kicked the motorcycle to life with his heel and Andie felt the power of it shaking underneath her. The motor was deafening in her ears and she really wished she had a helmet, but at the same time it was exhilarating riding such a powerful machine without any safety net. At one point she tried asking Jamie for his helmet, but he either didn't hear her or he simply ignored her. Andie bet on the latter.

She found herself squeezing herself tight against Jamie's body, afraid that if she loosened her grip too much that she would fly right off the back of the bike. Her cheek rested against the middle of his back and in any other circumstance she would be able to hear him breathing and his heart racing, but with the loud motor feet away, all that could be heard was the loud growl of the motor.

All too soon, the boys began to slow down. Andie enjoyed the thrill that the motorcycle had brought and wished she could ride one again.

As the sky was getting darker, they ended up parking in what looked like a makeshift parking lot. There was a jeep, a van, a suburban, and now two motorcycles parked in the dirt lot. "This is where we get off." Jamie whispered back to Andie, who was still holding on to him. His helmet was off now and he was looking back at her. His pupils were wide and his mouth, even though his tone seemed light, was in a taught line.

"Right." She said smoothly.

The sky was just beginning to darken as the sun fell past the horizon. Kaid and Andie were lucky to have been found. They probably wouldn't have made it home before dark, and with Andie's cut palm the Infected would have tracked them all the way to the cabin. However, using a motorcycle would make it much harder for Infected to track the scent.

Kaid and Andie followed the boys, who had backpacks full of what she suspected was food, all the way to a small rowboat. Andie offered to take Jamie's bag and help him lift it into the boat, but he snapped, "I got it."

After pushing it from shore, the small boat rocked as Finn got in. "This is the last leg." He pulled on the oars.

Andie looked up then and saw the massive building on an island, silhouetted by the sky's colors.

This was real, this safe haven, and it was beautiful. Andie didn't let herself believe until she saw it in person, but now there was hope. They could go on living like they used to without the constant threat of being attacked by Infected.

Before she realized what was happening she felt herself grab Kaid's hand and squeezed it impossibly tight and he smiled. They were safe.

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**In case you forgot.. the REVIEW BUTTON is at the bottom of the page. ;)**


	6. Finn

**Sorry for the late update. As always, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW**

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Chapter 6 – Finn

The sun was just beginning to set as they approached the hospital. They gently approached the beach and docked the rowboat. There were a few lights that illuminated the windows, but other than that, the place was quiet. Not eerie quiet, but peaceful quiet. By this time everyone was most likely getting ready for bed. Having to wake up at dawn caused people to get tired easily, so almost everyone went to bed as soon as the sun set. Most people wanted to get as much sleep as possible so they could be up bright and early the next day.

Finn remembered going camping once and he knew how, out in nature with no clocks, is body naturally got tired at dusk and woke up and dawn. The same things happened here, people were awake as long as the sun was in the sky.

Without saying anything, Finn walked from the beach, to the small wooden door of the basement, and into the locker room, and begun unpacking his bag and shedding his extra layers of clothing. Jamie, however, didn't unpack his bag, not while the newbies were around. Instead, he began taking off his jacket and boots.

Finn could see fading rims or red on Jamie's wrists and neck where is clothing hadn't completely covered him from the sun. The mild burns were, thankfully, fading fast.

After Finn was all unpacked he gestured for the boy and girl to follow him. "Come on," he said, "I'll show you where you'll be staying. Jamie, do you have everything covered with unpacking?" Finn called back. He had left his own treasures behind, in hopes that Jamie would just take care of both of their gatherings at the same time. Jamie silently nodded in response.

The boy and the girl began following Finn up the stairs and into the wing with all the rooms. Now that is was getting dark, people started making their way back to their rooms. So many people had made it look like home here; they had lamps that were turned on, different colored sheets, and some people even had posters. Finn didn't mind going out to gather unnecessary goodies for everyone. In fact, he enjoyed it. It made this whole situation feel normal, and it helped the residents feel at home. As Finn passed a few people that said hello, he naturally smiled back, asking them how they were. He was quite a popular face around the hospital.

Finally, they reached the end of the hall where there were two empty rooms. There was a premade bed and one pillow sitting on top of each bed. "Don't be afraid that the rooms have bars." Finn said quickly. "This used to be an insane asylum, and we figured the bars might actually be safe if… anything… ever attacked. The sheets are washed every other Thursday and feel free to decorate in anyway you want. We will be going out again next week so you can come scavenge with us," he said with a smile.

The boy and the girl walked inside the narrow room, looking around, even though there wasn't too much to look at. "You're not obligated to lock the gate, or even shut it. It's your choice. We try and make this as hospitable as possible." Finn wanted to make sure he sold the place. These two people could really be beneficial to the group. They were strong. They were capable. They were survivors.

"You can make yourself at home in a minute, but let me show you the rest of the hospital." He gestured for them to follow and they did, wordlessly.

What were they thinking? Did they love the place? Hate it? Fear it? Finn could only guess. The girl was smiling as she looked around, which seemed like a good start, but the boy looked impassive and was unreadable. Obviously, he was the hard sell.

As Finn walked up the stairs he continued talking, "We'll rotate you two through a series of jobs until you find one you like. We try and keep people busy here and if everyone helps out it makes for a well oiled machine."

"What do _you_ do?" the girl, Andie, asked.

"I'm a Runner." Finn smiled proudly. He thought it was one of the most honorable jobs here. Without Runners, the place would run out of food and other supplies. The hospital depended on him doing his job right—_Jamie_ depended on him doing his job right. Jamie, however, did tag along sometimes to get what he needed. "We go out and get food, medical supplies, teddy bears for the kids… you name it; anything we can find. There's a whole group of us that go."

"So that's what you and your brother were doing?" she asked again.

Finn hesitated. "Yeah." He gave a forced smile, hoping it looked real. "Jamie helps out sometimes too."

By now, they had made it upstairs and into the lobby. He could hear the two newbies gasp at the extravagance of it. The richness of the woven, red, rug; the smoothness of the mahogany staircase and railings; old paintings of breath-taking sceneries…it was all amazing. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"I had no idea anything like this still existed." Andie breathed in amazement, looking up at the giant crystal chandelier.

"Where do you get the power from?" The boy named Kaid asked.

"We have a generator that runs off of the waves from the lake. Don't ask me how it works, but it does." Finn laughed a little. He was a Runner and not an Engineer for a reason, but they _did_ have one here. In fact, "We have so many people here with a variety of talents. One of the guys figured out all of the electricity, another worked out how we can make the showers work—"

"Showers?!" Andie's interest peaked.

"Not complete running, hot water, but close to it." Finn smiled. "I can show you if you'd like."

They both nodded enthusiastically.

Finn passed through the lobby and back into another hallway until he reached the community bathrooms. There were eight stalls for the showers that were separated by tile walls that fell about waist height. There were water-stained showerheads at each one.

Finn went over to the well pump and began pushing on the lever until it got taught. Along the stall wall ran a metal pipe with faucets to turn on each individual showerhead. He twirled one open and the water began to flow out of the showerhead.

He thought he heard Andie gasp in awe. "The water is heated from the sun during the day, so the later you shower, the colder it will be. We try to have the boiler heat up the water too, but you can't always count on it. Sometimes you have to fight for a shower, but it can definitely be worth the wait."

"How long does it last?" Kaid asked.

"The water will run for about thirty seconds each time it's been fully pumped into place." Finn bit his tongue. "I mean this in the most innocent way possible, but it's always good to shower with a buddy."

Andie gave a sheepish smile and Kaid cocked his mouth up in one corner.

"One to make sure the water is always pumped while the other person showers and then you can switch. Oh, and try to take quick showers, five minutes at most."

"Got it," Andie smiled and stuck her hand under that fading water pressure.

"Let's see," Finn thought. What else did they need to know? "Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are around their usual times. You'll know when it's time to eat because everyone eats together. We'll eat in the mess hall, which is straight through the lobby, and straight through the lounge. You'll see all the people going in that direction easily. Don't worry if this place seems too big to navigate. It happens to all of us."

"This is amazing," Andie finally said. "Thank you so much for allowing us to stay here. I think a few days time will be plenty for us to be able to decide whether or not we want to stay here."

"Great!" Finn said. They were now walking back to the lobby. Personally, after he was done touring, he was going to go to bed. There had been so much action today that he could barely stay awake. "Feel free to explore or," he looked at Andie, "shower, tonight if you'd like."

Andie's eyes got big. "I. Would. Love. That. It has been nothing but river baths for the past seven months." She groaned slightly.

"Well feel free! While you two get your bearings, I'm going to head off to bed. I've had a long day." Finn pointed with a thumb to the balcony, where the door to his room could just be seen from around the corner. "I'm the first one on the left if you need me. Don't worry about waking me or anything."

"Thank you so much." Andie said sincerely.

"You two have a good night," Finn waved back as he made his way up the stairs.

Before they started exploring, he saw the two of them hug each other tight. Finn truly hoped they were here to stay. They seemed to be good people and it was nice having more young faces around. It seemed like everybody else was either 10 years older or 10 years younger, but never around the same age as the twins.

Finn barely made it to his bed before he let his body fall on top of the sheets. He laid there for a moment and breathed into the pillow before he dragged himself up to take off his sweaty shirt, leather riding pants, and boots.

Now only in his boxers, he pulled the sheets up to his chest and turned over to one side just as there was a knock on his door. He groaned quietly. He didn't think the two would take his offer so seriously—or so _soon_ for that matter.

Padding across the wood floor, Finn made his way to the door and opened it to see his brother. His blonde head shot up when Finn opened the door, their eyes meeting. He looked worried and flustered. "We need to talk," Jamie said urgently, inviting himself in.

Finn gave a sarcastically late gesture that would have offered Jamie inside if he had still been at the door. "About what?" Finn sat back down on his bed and scooted back until he could lean against the wall. His legs were folded into a four, with one leg sticking out and the other bent at the knee. Jamie sat backwards in a chair across the room.

"About _them_." Jamie dropped his voice, almost to a whisper, as if the two were outside listening—which they weren't. Finn rolled his eyes at his paranoid brother. "They are a liability."

Finn scoffed, "A liability? To what?"

"To me!" Jamie put a hand to his chest. "They'll find out about me."

"No they won't." Finn tried to sound reasonable. What did his brother care? New people had come and gone several times before.

"Yes they will." Jamie continued anyway. "They will hear something, or they will see something and they'll start putting the pieces together."

"Jamie," Finn sighed. "They aren't like that. I don't think these people are bad people. If, and I say, _if,_ they find out, I think we will be able to reason with them. You don't have to worry. Nothing is going to happen."

Jamie clenched his jaw, but his eyebrows pinched together in worry. "I hope you're right."

"I'm the oldest." Finn said proudly. "I'm always right."

"Whatever." Jamie rolled his eyes as he stood up.

"Hey," Finn stood up to match his brother. "What are you so afraid of?"

Jamie didn't say anything for a long time and when he did, he looked at his brother straight in the eyes. "More people means more people I could potentially hurt."

Finn clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You're not going to hurt them. I know you. You're not like those things that are crazy and murderous.

"Try being nice to them for a change instead of trying to drive them off. Okay?"

Jamie stood up from the chair and walked to the door, looking back before he left. A look passed over his face quickly. Sadness? _Worry_? He opened his mouth and then shut it. "No promises." Jamie said quietly as he vanished from the doorframe.

Why was he being so distant? It's not like Jamie was unsocial. Finn had to guess he was wary around new people because he didn't want them to find out the truth and freak out, but it felt like there was something else too. What was going on in Jamie's head?

Finn knew Jamie didn't want to hurt anybody, that Jamie wanted to keep himself under control at all times. Was that what he was so worried about? Hurting them? He's never had any problems with people before, so what was this all about?

Finn laid back down into bed and cocooned himself in blankets. After his mind pushed the thoughts of Jamie, Andie, and Kaid out, he was able to sleep.

But he sleep was anything but peaceful.

. . .

_The thunder came in a powerful crack that echoed throughout the forest. The rain was coming down and sheets and the thick clouds barely allowed any sunlight through. _

_The storm had approached unexpectedly fast and darkened the landscape too much for the group's comfort. The sun was ready to set and the oncoming storm had only darkened the sky further. Finn was sure that Duskies would be out on the prowl. _

_Duskies loved storms. The clouds covered the sun's rays and the noise of the rain made them completely soundless. It was easy to attack prey and that made the group highly vulnerable. _

So stupid_, he thought, _we shouldn't be out here_. They had been scavenging in a nearby city when they saw the dark clouds approaching. He had told the rest of the Runners to go ahead and make it to the boat before the storm. Finn and his brother offered to stay behind to make sure they got everything they were supposed to and now it was just Jamie and him scrambling to find the right path back to the beach._

_Limping as quickly as he could, Jamie was behind Finn, but not by much. Jamie always wanted to come on errand runs, and Finn didn't have the heart to tell him no. Jamie could put up a fight, but he couldn't run as fast anymore—not with his bum leg. It hadn't healed properly since he hurt it and now it slowed him down. However, since the Runners only left when it was sunny, they usually never ran into any problems, so it was okay to be slow, but today the sky was way too dark for comfort. _

_Finn kept looking over his shoulder to make sure Jamie was still keeping up. "Come on," he called back patiently. "We're almost there!"_

_It was an uphill battle now and Jamie was struggling. Finn turned to walk back to help when he heard a terrible scream rip through the darkness. Both of their heads shot up in unison. A flash later and there was a Duskie headed up the slope, terrifyingly fast. _

_Jamie, having heard the Duskie, started moving faster. _He must look like an easy target_, Finn thought_, limping like that. A predator always attacks the weak and injured prey.

_However, his brother was _not_ this creature's prey. Finn pulled out his gun and started shooting. The monster took the hits in the chest but didn't slow down. It howled in hunger. _

"_Jamie! Behind!" Finn yelled, too far away to attack the monster himself. He pushed his legs to run faster, but he wasn't fast enough._

_Jamie spun to put a machete through its chest, but he was too late. The monster had pounced and latched itself onto Jamie's neck._

_Blood. There had been so much blood. Finn couldn't believe that a human could possibly loose that much blood and still be standing. But his brother fought back._

_Finn yelled in fury, a hard ball forming in his throat. He forced it down and shot off more clippings at the monster. Finally, one took and went through its heart, causing the monster to fall limp._

_Jamie's body fell too._

Oh God.

"_Jamie!" Finn fell to his knees to met Jamie's body on the muddy earth. "No, no, no, NO!" He gritted his teeth. His first instinct was to put pressure on the wound, but his mind knew it wouldn't do anything. Jamie was bitten. He was infected. He would either die or Turn._

_Pushing his hand against Jamie's neck, Finn could feel a pulse. A faint pulse, but it was still there. _

_His brother's eyes were open, looking desperately at Finn. "Leave me. Go. Before more come." Jamie's voice sounded strained, like it was hard for him to speak. _

"_No. There has to be something Doc can do." Finn said. He had brought Jamie up into his lap, but now he tried standing. He pulled Jamie up with him and threw his arm over his shoulder so that his weight would be supported. Jamie held a hand to his neck the best he could._

"_You're going to be okay." Finn repeated as he helped Jamie to the last boat on shore. _

_The rest of the Runners were waiting anxiously there. Their faces went white when they saw Jamie had been Bitten. _

_Finn helped Jamie into the boat and they laid in the center, his brother's head on his lap and Finn's hand putting pressure on the bite. _

_It took him a moment to realize they weren't moving. Everyone was staring at Jamie in shock. "What are you waiting for?" Finn ordered to the other Runners. "We need to get back. We've got a bloody human practically sending out a smoke signal to every Duskie out there. Get paddling. Now! "_

_They hastily started paddling._

"_You're going to be fine." Finn was whispering to Jamie, whose eyes were shutting more and more. Finn grabbed his brother's hand and squeezed tightly. "You can't leave me. Not yet. We only have each other, remember? You can't leave." As they paddled, the rain seemed to let up, but the boys were still drenched and bloody. "Damn you! You can't die!" Finn screamed through tears. "You can't leave me."_

_. . ._

Jamie awoke drenched in his own cold sweat and breathing hard. That night, as well as others, replayed in his dreams constantly.

He raked his fingers through his hair, pushing beads of sweat off his forehead, and tried to calm himself down enough to fall back asleep. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get much.

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**Hope you got another little clue as to what's going on with Jamie. What do you think is happening? Let me know in the comments!**


	7. 7 Andie

Chapter 7 – Andie

This morning, Andie woke up in Kaid's arms. He was still asleep and taking slow, long breaths that gently blew her hair. Kaid was laying on his back with his head turned to her. One of his arms held her close while the other was folded on his chest. She was curled up next to him with her head resting in the nook of Kaid's shoulder and neck.

There were rays of sun and the shuffle of movement in the hallway. Every body else was getting ready for their daily jobs, which meant they had to start getting ready too.

They had taken Finn's advice and put a sheet over the cell door for more privacy. It seemed like second nature that they shared a bed/room, and Andie preferred it to sleeping in a strange cell all by her self. And since they only used one bed and one pair of sheets, they took the extra sheet and strung it above the door.

Using as little movement as possible, trying not to disturb Kaid as he slept, Andie inspected her unfamiliar surroundings once again. The cell they were in was small, only meant for one person, and had a cold cement floor. Their backpacks sat in one corner as well as a few layers of clothes.

"I know you're awake," Kaid's voice was husky from just waking up. He talked even though his eyes were still shut. Lazily, he took a big breath, filling his chest with air, and let a sigh come out as he began opening his eyes. His arms stretched out, flexing the muscles taught, and then curled them around Andie again.

"Did you get a good night's rest?" he asked.

"The best I've had in a long time." She responded, smiling and curling into Kaid's arms. "I think we're going to like this place."

Andie expected Kaid's famous frown of disapproval to appear, but instead he gave a small smile. "I think so too. No running. No fighting to find food. We could be safe here."

Andie's smile grew and her heart fluttered at the thought of safety.

Home. This could be home.

She leaned in to press her lips to Kaid's.

"Are you two going to make kissy faces at each other all day or are you going to come and eat breakfast?" A voice came from the cell door.

Both of them tilted their heads up to see who was at the door. A short, snickering, young boy giggled at them. He pursed his lips together and made wet kissing sounds. He laughed some more.

At this point Andie and Kaid had sat up. She pulled on the same shirt she had been wearing yesterday over her head and was pulling on pants and her boots. Kaid did the same.

Neither of them hurried, though. They weren't embarrassed. The boy was young and immature—and a little annoying for that matter, but they didn't care. They weren't doing anything wrong.

"Come on!" the boy yelled, cheery now. "They're serving pancakes and ham today!" The boy scampered off.

"Did I hear that right?" Andie cocked her head in confusion. Her stomach growled at the thought of the hearty meal. "I definitely heard that right."

Kaid, who was already standing and dressed, offered his hands to pull her up from the bed. "Let's go then," he threw his arm over her shoulder as they walked.

At first they followed the crowd of people to find their way, but soon they could follow the scent alone. The aroma of sweet syrup and warm pancakes and the saltiness of ham made Andie's mouth water.

As they entered the mess hall, Andie finally got an idea of how huge this place was. There were dozens upon dozens of circular tables with attached chairs, and people were sitting at all of them. There were people serving and standing in line for food. Andie hadn't seen this many people in one place in so long. She almost forgot how chaotic it was. She was a little nervous to suddenly be around so many people.

"This way," Kaid pulled them to the line, more confident than she was.

The two of them picked up old ceramic plates and began filling them with as much food as they could. Andie stacked a measly four pancakes on her plate while Kaid greedily took twelve. His eyes were as big as a kid in a candy store as he poured syrup on top. He offered the jug to Andie and she doused her plate as well. Some of the sticky liquid fell on her finger and she licked it up.

Oh my god.

It was amazing. Real, warm food. Not canned food. Meat, bread, sugar. It was all so good. Andie couldn't wait to eat it.

As they reached the end of the line they started looking for an empty spot to sit. Not too long after starting their search did the see a hand shoot up from the crowd. The blonde boy smiled and called to them.

"I think Finn wants us over there," Kaid grinned. The difference between Kaid and Finn was like a Golden Retriever and a German Shepard. One was loyal and always looking to please and the other was a fierce, fearless protector.

"Looks like there's room. Let's go." Andie started walking over to the table and saw another familiar face. Finn's twin brother Jamie. Great.

His was sitting to Finn's right giving him a betrayed look. Jamie didn't have a plate in front of him, but had a glass of water instead, which didn't even look like it had been touched. What was up with this kid?

"Everybody," Finn introduced. "This is Andie and Kaid. They are the ones that Jamie and I found yesterday." Andie gave a small wave as she sat down. Finn started introducing the strangers that sat around the table, all young faces. "This is Alissa, Tanner, Cory, Ben, and you know Jamie." They all smiled and said hello.

Andie smiled and thanked Finn for inviting them over. "This is all so amazing," She took a forkful of food that was almost too big for her mouth. "Mmmm. You guys made all of this?"

Finn, who had taken a smaller bite, swallowed before he spoke. "Yeah, we have a farm on the opposite side of the beach, so we harvest wheat, vegetables and fruit there. Tanner," he pointed with his fork to an older boy across the table. He had dark skin and hair, and yet he had freckles and light eyes. "Runs the butchery, and not too far from here we have some Maple trees tapped. It's amazing what the cooks can come up with here. Pancakes and ham are my favorite." Finn took another bite.

"You guys have a butchery?" Andie asked, incredulous.

Tanner answered now, shrugging his shoulders. "My dad taught me before everything happened. It was a family business." His voice dropped a little. He must've lost his parents when the Infection spread. Andie's heart went out to him. She could relate. Everyone lost someone when it had gotten bad. "We have cows, pigs, and chickens. A few goats too."

"I know how to gut wild game, but I've never done anything domestic." Kaid spoke. "I'm sure it's not that hard to learn since I already know the basics. Maybe I can give it a try sometime, help you out?" Kaid spoke up and then looked at Finn for approval.

Finn grinned. "If that's what you like then by all means try it out. What about you, Andie?"

"Huh?" Andie said smoothly. She had been paying attention to the conversation, but was looking at Jamie. He intrigued her. Even as he sat, staring at his glass of water, there was something there that pulled her attention to him. He cocked up an eyebrow at her once everyone else looked at her. His face softened when he noticed her staring, but only for a moment.

"What do you like to do?" Finn asked again.

It felt like all eyes were on her now. Finn's curious ones, Jamie's indifferent one's, Kaid's captivated one's, and the other strangers at the table. "Umm, I don't know? I'm not good at anything special."

"Andie really likes animals." Kaid spoke up for her.

"Yeah, wouldn't that be great?" Andie said sarcastically, slapping his arm with a playful punch. "I take care of the animals and then hand them over to you, just to have you kill them." Kaid, and even the whole table began to laugh. Even Jamie broke into a small grin, a _real_ grin. And for once, Andie could see beyond his hard exterior, but only for a moment. A second later, as if he realized he had slipped, Jamie went back to his stoic expression.

Hearing everyone laugh made Andie feel good. It made her feel accepted. These people had known each other for so long, and accepting a stranger wasn't always easy, but they made her feel like she belonged there. And she realized they were all exactly the same. They were all survivors too, and they were just trying to live in the world that was forced upon them. They all went through the same thing and they had all lost loved ones.

"Well, like I said, you can try out a series of jobs before you pick one out that you like." Finn explained. Once again he had this aura about him that made him feel important, like he was the student body president, or a captain of a sport's team. _A natural leader_, Andie thought. "How about you start off as a Stockperson with Jamie for today?" Finn smiled, but his face quickly twisted into a yelp. His brother was giving him a hard look of betrayal. Finn whispered to Jamie, "I think it will be good for you. Don't worry."

Jamie rolled his eyes, took his untouched glass of water and stood up. "Fine,"

With his attention facing Andie again, Finn looked apologetic. "He doesn't usually work with anyone. That's why he's so grumpy. He's not always like this. I promise." Andie slowly got up to follow Jamie, who was now waiting in the doorway. At least he hadn't completely stormed off and left her to find her way on her own. But he still looked frustrated to be stuck with her.

She felt a warm hand touch hers. It was Kaid. He smiled up at her reassuringly. "Have fun."

"You too," she said as she emptied her plate and set it on a counter to be washed. She prayed she didn't get stuck with dishwasher duty. She hated dealing with leftover, wet food.

Andie caught up with Jamie and before she could say anything, he turned and wordlessly began walking. She took a centering breath. She would get through this. One cranky guy wasn't going to ruin all of this for her.

Making their way through the maze of hallways, Andie followed Jamie to the stockroom. He flipped on a flickering light and it lit up the giant room.

There were rows of shelves of food. "Oh my God," Andie heard herself say. There was canned food, bagged grains, extra blankets, toilet paper, and so much more. Everything that they had ever scavenged or collected was here. It was like they had their own personal shopping center.

Jamie sighed as he lifted a bag. "This is the bag we got from our last run. We need to organize all of it an put it in the right spots."

"Just one bag?"

"Just one bag," Jamie smiled sarcastically "Don't worry, we won't be together too long. There's not much left to do. Besides, we had more come in the other day. This is just from Finn and me." He first started unpacking the supplies on a main table. There were bottles of water, cans of food, candles, a few random plastic objects, and a medical kit. The thing with scavenging was you never questioned what you were grabbing. You just grabbed it and took what you found. You'd find a purpose for it later.

"So," Andie tried to break the awkward silence. It was too painful. "You guys have it all figured out don't you?" She started sorting through everything and organizing it into groups of similar objects.

"Pretty much," Jamie responded curtly. He had a handful of water bottles and started walking down the second aisle. Andie grabbed the waters that were left on the table and followed him. The shelf had five-gallon water jugs, water bottles, and empty canisters to fill water. They placed their bottles there.

"How is this enough for the entire hospital?" she asked as Jamie silently walked back to the main table.

"It's not. Look around. We're on an island. We are surrounded by freshwater. It's not that hard to come by. Those waters are for emergencies or trips." He didn't say it condescendingly or rudely. He almost sounded tired, with the ever-present undertone of annoyance. Jamie had been looking at Andie when he was talking, but as soon as he finished, his eyes flickered down to the table.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked softly. Jamie didn't look up as he mumbled a response. She took a breath. "Why are you trying to push me away?"

That got his attention. Jamie's brown eyes snapped up at her. His mouth was a tight line. "What?"

"Ever since I met you, you've been annoyed with me, or short with me. Either you're trying to push me away or you're a bigger dick than I thought."

Jamie gave an arrogant smile. It seemed faked though. Forced. "Maybe I am a dick."

"See," Andie started. "I don't think you are. You're brother, your _identical twin_, is so nice. He offered us a place to live, and you keep on acting like you are regretting that you didn't leave us on the streets. Yeah, it's true that I don't know you, and maybe you are just a dick who doesn't like me. Maybe you don't trust us, but I saw you at breakfast. I saw you smile; a _real_ smile. I think that's who you _really_ are, not this guy who is rude to everybody. You helped me when I almost fell off the motorcycle. There's a part of you that you're burying under this charade of dick-ness." Andie made herself smile. "I just don't understand why you hide the real you."

Jamie was hard to read. His face was lax, but his mouth was still a tight line. Once he finally leaned forward, Andie saw expression come over his face. He looked sad, but the proximity of their bodies made Andie feel intimidated. She could feel her heart begin to race. Maybe she crossed a line.

She could see his eyes now. They were more dilated than she expected. The small lines that made up the chocolate brown color were only a small band. And she could've sworn she saw something else in there. More colors. More colors that enhanced his own brown color. Gold? Amber? _Red_? Just before she could decide, his eyes snapped down.

Was he looking at her _chest_? Andie suddenly felt disgusted at him. But, no, he was looking at her neck. His expression wasn't hungry or lustful, as she expected; it was sad and tired.

"I guess that's what happens in this world." Jamie's eyes snapped back up to meet hers. "It changes people. Better learn that now."

After that, they spent they rest of the afternoon unpacking in silence.

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**I wanted to saw thank you to the few people who commented on the last chapter. Keep it up! I love reading what you have to say. Sorry this chapter wasn't too intense. Keep commenting! And this story is also posted on my Wattpad under the same username and title ;)**


	8. 8 Andie

Chapter 8 – Andie

A few weeks later Andie found herself waking up at the same time as everyone else. Half of the time she was up and ready before she heard the shuffle of the work force down the hall. She liked waking up at the same time the sun did. It was quiet at this time. Peaceful.

Kaid on the other hand, had a hard time getting up. Andie always had to wake him as she got ready. Sometimes she had to wake him up more than once as he grumbled a sleepy retort and rolled away from her.

Kaid had found his place at the butchery. Andie first thought that he would want to be a Runner with Finn, but they both shared the same mentality on that job. They had spent too much of their time on the run, in the wild, and too exposed. Being at the hospital finally allowed them to relax. They were safe here and they didn't have to worry about the monsters that roamed about out there. Being a Runner meant they would have to voluntarily expose themselves to that again, which was something that neither of them wanted just quite yet.

Andie, however, still hadn't found a job she liked. This particular morning she was helping strip the beds and doing laundry. Exhilarating stuff.

Eventually, she left Kaid's sleeping form and got herself ready. She knew he would eventually find the motivation to get up once she left. By the timing of things, he knew he would be late after she left.

With a few weeks under her belt, Andies finally knew what she was doing and where she was going. She made her way through the corridors of the old hospital with ease now.

The laundry room was a small musty room that was a few levels below the main floor. The floors were wood and creaked under the slightest pressure. The rooms down here weren't nearly as extravagant as the main lobby or the outside.

Andie was easily the youngest person in the laundry room. Most of the people who did laundry were elderly since it didn't take much energy, laundry only had to be done every other week, and because it ended early in the day. Everyone helped out at the hospital, even the elderly, but the other people made sure the elderly's jobs weren't that difficult.

Andie like the job, but knew she shouldn't pick it. She was young and her talents could be used somewhere else. This was a job for the elderly, not a young person.

They had already gone around with a kart and collected sheets from beds. The old wheels on the kart echoed loudly against the now empty hallways. The sheets all looked the same so they didn't have to worry about mixing any colors or anything like that. They just threw them all in a growing pile.

Unfortunately, the only 'washer' they had were three buckets that sat side by side. One bucket was filled with clean water, another had soapy water, and another was for rinsing. There was a rolling contraption that squeezed out all of the water after the sheets had been washed. After that they hung them out in the sun to dry.

Andie silently did her work for the day, not saying much, but not ignoring people either. Some of the other workers talked to each other or asked Andie questions, but other than that it was a quiet, peaceful way to start the day.

"So, Andrea," the woman to her right started. "How are you liking the place?" The woman's hair had gone gray and was pulled back into a ponytail, with some strands falling into her face. She looked like one of those grandmothers who would make you finish the platter of cookies before you could step inside.

"It's perfect." Andie said with certainty and a smile. "I just need to find my job, first."

The woman smiled. "I'm sure you will find it soon enough." Suddenly, one of the others urged the old woman to ask something. They had a silent conversation before the old lady turned to face Andie again. "Andrea," she started again. "I know you're becoming friends with that Jamie boy—"

"I don't think you could call us that," Andie laughed.

The old lady had wrinkles on her face that pinched when she frowned. "That boy is trouble. It's only a matter of time before he hurts someone."

"Don't worry." Andie reassured. "I already know how I feel about him."

Did she? On one hand Jamie tugged at every nerve in her body, making her want to scream. On the other, there was something soft about him that he wouldn't let through his hard exterior. Jamie was the only person who made her this confused and frustrated at the same time. And this fact pulled her toward him even more. She wanted to figure him out. She hated being left in the dark.

Andie was persistent. She still couldn't help but feel like he was hiding something, covering up a part of himself.

She wanted answers. There wasn't much drama here at the hospital, so she would hold on to this until she got her answers.

After they were done washing everything, the group carried their baskets out into the courtyard. On the opposite side of the building there was a small, grassy courtyard that had clotheslines, sport courts and a barn for the animals. Andie was still amazed everyday by how much they had here.

In the midday sun, Andie had to squint as she walked outside carrying her basket. There were several kids running around on the grass, playing what looked like soccer. Unsurprisingly, Finn stood over them and was teaching them techniques.

She found herself smiling. Everything was so normal.

Past the field, she saw the small building that was meant to be the butchery. Kaid was standing outside of it, cleaning his hands when he happened to look up and see her. He gave her a big smile and waved. She shifted the basket of wet sheets onto her hip and waved back.

One by one, the white sheets were tacked onto the clothesline and started flowing in the soft wind. Andie loved the simplicity of this job. Why couldn't every job be like this? After all the sheets were hung, there wasn't much left to do except wait for them to dry, so Andie made her way to the center of the courtyard where the kids were playing soccer. She never had any young family members, but she liked kids, their hope for the world, their innocence.

There were a few parents and other children outside the lines, cheering them on. As Andie approached to watch the game she noticed that someone was sitting under the shade of a tree. Jamie. She sighed internally.

She planned to ignore him. She really did, but she heard him call out her name and she felt compelled to walk over there. Finn cast a curious glance in their direction before she turned.

Jamie leaned against the trunk of the tree. He had dark sunglasses on and an expressionless face.

"What?" Andie sighed. "Let me guess: you going to tell me something to make me hate you even more?"

"No," Jamie said quietly. "I wanted to apologize." It sounded like he was having a hard time forming the right words. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted towards you."

"Come again?" Disbelief crossed her face.

"I'm sorry for being a dick." Jamie said flatly. She wished he wasn't wearing those sunglasses. His face was already hard to read without them.

Andie crossed her arms. "Did Finn tell you to say that?"

"No." Jamie frowned, but then collected himself. "I can get in these moods sometimes—"

"Sometimes?" Andie huffed a laugh.

Jamie blew out a centering breath. He really did look like he was trying. Great, now Andie felt bad. "I can't really help it, but I'm trying to control it. You know, so I don't snap."

"So what, are you bipolar or something?" Andie questioned.

"Something like that," Jamie turned to look out at the kids playing soccer. "I'm just wary around new people. You never know who you can trust. Sometimes the best offense is defense."

_About time I got some explanation_, Andie thought. "I get it." Finally she felt like she understood him a little better. "People betray people all the time. It's hard to find quality people you can trust these days. It's every person for him or herself, but I'm serious when I say this: Kaid and I are survivors just like you. We don't want any trouble. We just want to stay alive."

"It's scary getting close to people in this world." Andie continued. "I felt the same way for a long time, even about Kaid. Why get close to someone when they could disappear from your life at any moment. Why put yourself through that pain?"

Jamie thought about her words for a while in silence. Andie thought that he might not reply. His face creased in worry. "Do you ever worry that _you'll_ be the person hurting another?" He finally spoke in a low voice.

Andie was about to respond when a soccer ball rolled in there direction. A little boy, no older than five, scampered over to retrieve his ball. He looked curiously at Jamie and pointed in recognition, "Mommy, look!"

The mother came over quickly and pulled the boy away, scolding him. "I told you not to get close to him!" There was a quick expression that came over her face, something between anger and fear, before she pulled the boy away completely.

It was hard to read Jamie's face behind the dark sunglasses, but his eyebrows creased in anger, his mouth a tight line. Then his face dropped into sadness. He looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it.

What was _that_ about? Just because Jamie has an attitude problem doesn't mean people should stay away from him. Okay, well, that's what Andie had been doing, but people shouldn't treat him like a _monster. _

Just like that, the words of the old laundry lady returned to her. 'That boy is trouble' she had said. 'It's only a matter of time before he hurts someone.' Andie had brushed off the old lady's words, thinking that she simply meant he couldn't be trusted in a relationship, but what if she meant something else?

Andie couldn't see it. What was it about Jamie that made people loathe him—_fear _him?

"Did you ever play any sports?" Jamie asked, either done with the strange reactions of the mother, or just because he needed something else to distract him from what just happened.

The sudden words snapped Andie back into reality. "Umm. Not really." Andie went along with the new conversation, still confused about what just happened. "I never liked the cliqueiness of school sports. Plus, I always had a job, dog sitting, and homework to worry about. I usually just ran when I had time. What about you?"

"Finn and I played soccer for our school."

Andie could see that. Finn looked like he loved being back on a field, even if he was playing against the kids. "What about you? How come you're not out there with Finn?" She asked.

"I hurt my knee just as things got bad. The hospitals were always too busy to have it fixed. So we just left it and it sort of healed." Jamie paused for a moment. "I don't want to strain it too much, you know. It's never been the same since my… accident." Jamie looked uncomfortable as he talked about his injury. There was a undertone to his voice that Andie picked up, but she couldn't tell what it meant.

Andie nodded. "Yeah that's probably best." She started picking at the bark on the tree, unsure of what to say next.

Before either of them could speak again, Andie heard her name being called. This time it was from Kaid. He still had on a bloody apron from being in the butchery all day. Out of context, he would have looked like a serial killer. Andie raised an eyebrow at his clothing. "Hey. How was you're day? Finally find a job you like?" He asked.

Andie noticed that as Kaid approached, Jamie stiffened. He was no longer leaning casually leaning against the tree. His jaw muscles clenched. It even looked like he was holding his breath.

"Yeah right." Andie said rolling her eyes, her focus back on Kaid. She's always been indecisive. Everyone at the hospital didn't seem to mind her indecisiveness, as long as she was doing some sort of job every day, they were okay with it. "How's your day been?"

Kaid raked a finger through his hair. His fingernails still had dark grime underneath them. Andie hoped he would shower three times before he climbed into their bed. "It's good." Kaid started, but honestly she didn't want to hear the details of the butcher shop. She looked at Jamie instead. It looked like he was trying his hardest to focus his attention on the soccer game.

Andie nodded as Kaid talked, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her attention away from Jamie. There was something about him that was… off. She thought she had finally peeled back a layer and understood him more, but there was still something he didn't want anyone to see. Things just didn't add up. First he had said he got moody, and then he said he didn't trust new people, and then he said he didn't like getting attached to people. So, what was it? Was it all three? Just one? And if it _was_ just one, which one was the truth?

He was hiding something, that much was for sure. And Andie wanted to figure out what it was.

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**As always thank you guys so much for your support and sorry again that these chapters are slower than some of the others, but I have to build up the story in order to get to the good stuff ;) My October is pretty crazy so again: I'll try my best to get chapters out regularly. And remember more comments=more motivation to write faster ;D**

**Leave a comment letting me know what you think of the story and let me know what POV you'd like to read next.**


	9. 9 Kaid

**Sorry for the long wait. I think I'll be able to get these chapters up more regularly now ;) ENJOY**

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Chapter 9 – Kaid

Andie didn't know it, but Kaid was a terrible insomniac. Before he had met Andie he had grown so used to living with a switched sleeping schedule. He had trained himself to stay up at night to make sure no Duskies attacked and it was hard for him to switch back to a normal schedule. To pass the sleepless nights, Kaid had always done perimeter checks around the old cottage. He had no other choice but to stick to his habits so, he started walking around the hospital.

He had been able to sleep through more nights the longer he stayed here, but every once and a while he still found himself unable to rest. Tonight was one of those nights.

He wore loose, drawstring pajama paints that hung low on his hips and a white tee shirt. His bare feet padded through the squeaky hallway with ease. By now, he knew all of the squeaky boards and avoided them all successfully without waking any residents.

Kaid didn't know why, maybe it was the giant windows that allowed him to see the night sky, but he liked going to the skywalk that connected the infirmary. This was usually where he came when he couldn't sleep.

Kaid hadn't grown up in a big city, but there was nothing like seeing a completely clear sky. No matter how many nights he lived the sky would always amaze him. With no cities or stray lights to pollute the sky, every single star could be seen in the sky. The full moon also glistened off small waves across the lake.

Kaid found himself lost in it, but looking at the world from this safe place was an illusion; it made everything seem so peaceful. It didn't seem fair, Kaid thought. There still were people out there who struggled to survive everyday, Kaid had been one of them, but now he was safe. He felt guilty. What made him deserve this over anyone else?

He sighed and hung his head. He knew he was going to have to go back out there. His conscious wouldn't let him stay here in peace. He would have to go out there and look for survivors—if there were any left. It was the least he could do. Even if he never found anyone it was compensation for his survivor guilt.

The shuffling noise of a fight was what brought Kaid back to reality.

The halls were dark, but the light of the full moon was enough to allow him to move quickly through the hallways. A few turns and a few dark hallways later, Kaid found the opening to the dining hall. He stood in protection of the doorway as he hid in the shadows.

There were three figures crowding a fourth, who was leaning against the wall. Kaid barely recognized the faces, he had just seen them in passing-bys, but he instantly recognized the fourth as Jamie.

His lip was already cut and a purple bruise was starting to form under his eye. Jamie looked at his at his attackers with a small snarl.

"You're not going to get a chance to hurt anyone, _freak_," one of the figures said and swung his fist directly into Jamie's jaw. Kaid would've thought Jamie would fight back or defend himself, but he didn't. There was a terrible crack as the fist made contact with Jamie's jaw. He fell to his knees and stayed there, taking in slow, almost centering, breaths. His fists balled up on the floor.

Another figure used this opportunity to kick Jamie in the gut. This time Jamie cried out this time and then let out what sounded like a growl, but he still remained on all fours on the ground. It almost looked like he was trembling.

"You know," a figure said with a laugh, enjoying getting a reaction out of Jamie. "I kind of like that you're hard to kill. It just means we can keep beating the shit out of you." There was another kick to Jamie's gut. "Every." Kick. "Fucking." Kick. "Day."

Then, Kaid saw a flash of something metal. It took him a second to recognize what it was. A dagger.

Kaid wasn't sure why he had stood in the entryway for so long, just watching. He was about to move just as someone else appeared in the moonlight.

"Hey!" a voice yelled as Finn came out of the darkness. "Get the hell out of here!"

The figures didn't waste time and all fled into the shadows, obviously upset that their boxing match was cut short. Finn turned and helped his brother off the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked.

As a silent onlooker, Kaid stayed in the corridor, watching the two brothers.

Jamie nodded. His face was puffy from being beaten. Using the back of his hand, Jamie wiped blood from his lip and regarded it distastefully. He spit some blood out of his mouth and then mumbled something that rhymed with "nother duckers."

"Ignore them," Finn's voice was calm. "They just want to get under your skin. They just want a show."

Jamie was silent for a moment until he spoke very quietly, his teeth clenched. "I haven't done anything."

"They know that, and they're looking for some sort of proof that you're a monster." Finn spoke. Jamie had looked away and was looking at where Kaid was standing. Finn, oblivious to Jamie's gaze, pulled his brother's chin to face him. "You're not that monster."

"You don't know that." Jamie said in a low voice.

"Sure I do. Doc sees it too. You're different for a reason. Who cares what those people think."

Kaid hated eavesdropping like this, but he didn't have a choice. If he let the twins now he had been listening it will already have been too late. It would be awkward since he had already most of their conversation. Plus he sort of was curious about what they were talking about. Kaid decided it would be better if he just stayed in the shadows.

The twins had begun walking away now, which signaled the end of their conversation and the end of Kaid's adventure. He turned as well and begun making his way back to his room.

. . .

The next morning Andie shook Kaid awake. "Come on," she tugged. "It's time for breakfast."

Kaid groaned as he rolled to his side. The obvious down side to being an insomniac was that you didn't sleep, which meant that you were always tired due to the lack of sleep. "Five minutes," Kaid grumbled. His eyes were shut.

"We have to go now or we'll get the last crumbs of the food. I'm starving so let's go!" Andie tugged on his arm.

"Okay," Kaid leaned up onto one elbow and rubbed his eyes with the other. "Okay, I'm getting up."

A hand landed on Andie's hip. "Hurry up. I could eat a cow."

Kaid teasingly began moving slower as he reached for his pants. Andie raised an eyebrow at him and then rolled her eye with a sigh. "Ugh, you're such an ass." She leaned over to reach for a pillow to throw at Kaid. It hit him with a soft _poof_.

"Hey," he laughed. "Was that really necessary?"

"When you're moving like an old man who just got his hip replaced, then yes, it was necessary."

With a smile, Kaid pulled his jeans on the rest of the way. "You know I just like seeing you get all worked up."

"When food is involved," Andie said. "and it's not in my belly, I'm _always_ worked up."

Kaid smiled as he slipped his hand into Andie's. He was so happy that their lives had collided. Kaid wasn't sure where he'd be if they hadn't found each other in the woods. He would most likely still be struggling to survive at the cabin, all by himself. He wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.

The scent of food still made his stomach growl even after being fed well for several weeks now. The breakfasts, as well as every other meal, were delicious. Smelling the food as well, Andie let go of his hand to eagerly pick up a plate.

They went through the line together and met at their normal table where the twins and the other friends they had made usually sat. No one else was there yet except for the twins.

That was when Kaid noticed that Jamie was completely healed, but how? Shouldn't he have bruises and cuts from last night? How was that possible?

He almost asked, but thought better of it. He _had_ been eavesdropping. Or had he been dreaming?

"How was your night?" Finn asked casually. Jamie was the silent observer as always.

"Fine. I didn't sleep very well, but it was okay." Kaid said just as casually back.

"I hear, ya. I have those nights too." Finn said. He smiled, but it faded once he realized there was no reaction from anyone else. Jamie stayed silent, but Kaid still kept his eyes on him. There had to be some sign on him from the fight that happened last night. Kaid was sure he remembered seeing blood and cuts. So where were they? "Whatever people tell you, counting does not work." Finn kept talking, oblivious or ignoring Kaid's strange look at his brother. "At least for me it doesn't."

"What?!" Jamie finally snapped at Kaid, taking both Kaid and Finn by surprise.

"I saw you get the shit kicked out of you last night." Kaid blatantly said. Both of the brother's eyebrows shot up. "You're face was destroyed. You had bruises and cuts everywhere."

The boys were quiet. Jamie's glare intensified. "I don't know what you're talking about." Finn looked at his brother.

"Sorry I took so long," Andie interrupted. "Everything looked so good today. I'm pretty sure I grabbed everything."

She instantly picked up on the tension between them. "Okaaay. What did I miss?" she asked.

"Nothing." Kaid began forking at his food. "Nothing's going on." But of course Andie knew he was lying, but didn't ask anyway.

After that, the twins relaxed and the other teens joined them as breakfast went on. Finn talked as if nothing was wrong, but Jamie still kept checking in on Kaid, who kept checking in on Jamie.

There was only one thing that Kaid could think of that could heal that fast, that didn't eat food, and that didn't go out into the sun.

A Duskie.

But how? It couldn't be possible, but it was the only explaination.

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**What do you think will happen? Review PLEASE! **


	10. Finn and Jamie

Chapter 10 – Jamie and Finn

The door to Finn's room slammed shut as Jamie whirled around to face his brother. "I _knew _I heard someone!" Jamie whispered-yelled through his teeth. "Kaid saw us. Saw _me_." Jamie could feel himself losing it. It was the anger and all of the other emotions that came with it that made him lose it. He could feel his teeth getting pointed again.

Jamie was getting riled up. He could feel it rising up in him. The monster. It was making his hands shake. He clenched them into a tight fist before Finn could see.

"He doesn't know anything," Finn's ever-calming voice soothed. He always was an anchor for Jamie, always able to calm him down. "It was dark. We don't know how much he saw."

Jamie rolled his eyes and took a centering breath. He couldn't get worked up over something as small as this. He wouldn't lose control. Whenever he got angry it was harder for him to control himself.

"He didn't say anything. Maybe he's willing to listen." Finn offered again.

"People aren't very reasonable these days when it comes to me." Jamie said flatly. "They stab first and ask questions later, just like those guys did last night."

"We could try." Finn offered. "They are both good people and they've proved that. We might be able to reason with them."

"Finn!" Jamie's anger boiled over. "When are you going to get it? People are afraid of me. They don't see me as a person. They see me as a Duskie. Everyone is either to afraid to talk to me or tries to kill me." He took a breath. "Those guys last night… they weren't the first. I don't belong here anymore."

"And where do you suppose you go?" Finn asked.

"I don't know? Somewhere where I can't hurt anyone."

Because neither of them said anything, Jamie went to lie on Finn's bed and threw and hand over his eyes. The world got darker and he liked it that way. He was tired and he could feel his daily dose wearing off. He was going through them too fast. His body was becoming resilient and always wanted more.

"Is that what you're so afraid of? Why you've been distant with every person here? Because you're afraid of hurting them?" Finn asked softly.

"Finn," Jamie sighed. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Jamie rolled over so that his back was facing his brother.

"Don't you dare lie to me." Finn spoke up. His tone was serious, but not accusing.

Jamie sat up then. "Look," he sighed again and rubbed his eyes. "It's not a big deal. We will deal with it just like everything else, just like we always have."

There was a loud banging before Finn could answer. Two voices could be heard in that hallway before the door burst open.

Kaid stood in the doorway with a confused Andie behind him. "Kaid! What the hell?" she whispered at him.

He ignored her and pulled out a dagger that gleamed in the light. "You have five seconds to explain how the hell it's possible."

"What are you talking about?" Finn asked innocently.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Andie asked from behind, looking at Kaid like he had lost his mind.

Jamie slowly stood up now. He automatically raised his hands in surrender. Despite his calm exterior, the monster inside him raged.

This was a chance to fight, a chance to get fresh blood, to sink his teeth into live flesh. He quickly pushed back those urges, but still, the tips of his fangs poked at his tongue.

"Jamie's not human. That much is certain." Kaid kept his eyes trained on Jamie.

The two brothers looked at each other as if to ask permission. It was no use trying to come up with a story now. Kaid knew something was up.

"Look we can talk, but just… put the knife down first." Finn was the mediator between the two. "And close the door."

"The knife's not going anywhere and I'm not closing my only escape." The tip of the blade was raised and pointed at Jamie's heart. "Talk."

. . .

"_Somebody get Doc NOW!" Finn's yell echoed in the halls. The storm was in full rage now and thunder cracked as lightening flashed against the sky. _

_The rest of the Runners ran off in different direction to try and find the doctor, which left the brothers alone. _

"_He'd be in the lab," Jamie groaned._

_Jamie could still walk, but barely. He had to lean on Finn for support, and they walked like that to the infirmary. Jamie kept a hand to his bleeding neck._

_Jamie's clothing had already been drenched with rain, but he was feverish now, dousing his clothing even more. His head throbbed and every step drained him of energy._

"_We're almost there." Finn soothed. He was too tired to actually respond so Jamie nodded his heavy head as they continued walking. _

_._

"_Oh my," Doc gasped. "Finn. Jamie. What—? What happened?" Doc stood at the entrance of the lab, completely bewildered._

"_Can you fix him?" Finn growled._

"_I don't—?" Doc muttered._

"_Can you? You're in this lab everyday and we get you supplies. You must have something." Finn yelled. "Please. We don't have much time, Doc."_

"_I've been working on some experimental things…but none of them are ready by any means—"_

"_Great. Now go get them." Finn pushed his way past Doc with Jamie still leaning on his brother. "You wanted a chance to redeem yourself, so here it is." Finn called behind him._

_There was an operation table that Finn laid Jamie on. Jamie crawled up with a groan. He was breathless now and it was getting even harder to speak. "Finn—"_

"_Don't. You're going to survive this." He helped his brother lay down. "Don't say you're goodbyes yet. Just rest here. Conserve your energy, but don't you dare fall asleep, okay?" Jamie nodded and closed his eyes, despite being told not to._

_Doc had entered the room now and Finn looked up at him. "What do we need to do first?"_

_Doc looked around the room as if to search for an answer before he finally responded. "We need to get his fever down. That's what causes the coma, which causes the final transformation. Fever, coma, Turning. If we can slow the fever, or even stop it, we might have a chance of saving your brother."_

_With that information Finn automatically went to the counter to get water and a cool washcloth. He brought both back over to his brother. Doc was there now too and had just finished bandaging Jamie's neck wound._

"_It seems that the bite has stopped bleeding, so we won't worry about that now." Doc had a needle in his hand now._

"_What's that?" Finn asked._

"_A little medication that should help with the fever." He spoke as he injected the liquid in Jamie's arm. He gasped slightly._

_Finn put the cool towel on his brother's forehead and offered him water. Finn knew Jamie was weak so he held his head up as he drank the water._

"_Be careful with that glass. The Infected spread the disease through saliva. We need to prevent any further contamination—especially with so many people living here." Doc said. "I'll get us gloves."_

_When Doc returned again he had a pair of blue gloves for him and a pair for Finn._

"_Now what?" Finn asked._

"_We wait."_

"_For what?"_

"_Whatever happens next."_

_._

_Three hours later, Jamie woke himself up by vomiting. _

"_I'll get a bucket." Doc called from a lab table. He had been reading through notes as he waited. "Be careful not to get anything on you!" He yelled behind him._

_Finn, who had also been reading notes and had been sitting in a chair not far away, walked over to his brother and helped him sit up. "You okay?"_

_Jamie's eyes were shut tightly in pain and he actually shook his head. _No._ He was not okay. His body was burning up, his throat, head, and body ached, and now it felt like his insides wanted to be on the outside._

"_Here," Doc came back with a bucket just in time for Jamie to vomit some more. Doc's eyebrows were pinched together in concern. His mouth was a tight line._

"_What it is?" Finn's concerned voice asked. He had a hand on his brother's back to try and soothe Jamie._

"_His body is rejecting the food it normally needs." Doc pushed up his glasses with a finger._

"_What does that mean?" Jamie was able to ask._

_Doc took a breath before he spoke. "It mean's that food—what you have in your stomach—is no longer what your body needs to survive. It's prepping itself for another source of nutrition._

_._

_It had become that time of night where you didn't know when night ended and the morning began. There were no windows in the lab so Finn had no idea what time of day it was. All he knew was he had been awake for far too long. He tried to stay awake, but he kept drifting off to sleep. Jamie, who had been drifting in and out of sleep was asleep now, and Doc was silent so it was extremely difficult to stay awake._

_Doc saw Finn fading and gently spoke. "You can rest. Right now your brother is doing the same. I'll wake you if anything happens."_

"_No… I can't." Finn shook himself a little and stretched to try and wake up. "I'll be fine."_

_Doc nodded and continued to look through his notes. There were several vials of liquid that he kept mixing and testing and throwing away. He was scratching off paper and part of his notes in frustration._

"_How long does it usually take?" Finn asked as he watched. _

_Doc didn't look up from his work this time. "It depends on the person."_

"_That guy… on the TV. The first patient…" Finn started. "That was almost instantaneous. Since it's taking so long for Jamie, does that mean something is working?"_

"_Not necessarily." Doc explained. "The patient, he was give a pure mixture of 'the cure' so he reacted quicker. The Infected all have this 'venom', per say, in them and in a way, slightly smaller doses of the venom are handed down to each person they infect, so the process takes longer to kick in."_

"_So does that mean the Duskies could eventually die out?" Finn asked. It sounded reasonable. "Each generation of Duskie has less and less venom inside of them to pass on to the next person, so eventually it's theoretically possible that a human could survive getting bit, right?"_

_Doc finally looked up from his papers now and looked at Jamie, who was still, but breathing, on the operating table. "Either that, or the venom is so toxic that no one can survive it and the disease will continue to be spread." Doc looked back at Finn. "I guess we'll find out."_

_._

_Finn had sat back down in the same chair as before, but had given up looking through the doctor's notes. He couldn't understand any of it or read it either. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on his brother, making sure his chest kept rising and falling and rising again._

"_I'm not dead yet." Jamie mumbled even though his eyes were still shut. "You can stop staring at me."_

_Finn's mouth turned up into a small smirk. Eventually he walked over to his brother and knelt on his side and grabbed his hand. It was clamy. Jamie wearily opened his eyes. They were bloodshot._

"_When I Turn…don't…don't hesitate. Okay?"_

"_What?" _

"_Don't let me hurt anyone. Kill me when I Turn. No, kill me before I Turn, while I'm in a coma, or whatever is supposed to happen, just don't let me get the chance to hurt anyone, especially you." Jamie said._

_Finn swallowed hard._

"_Promise me." Jamie pleaded._

_Finn couldn't say the words. He wouldn't lie to his brother. He wouldn't give up hope, but he nodded anyway._

_._

_About an hour later, Jamie's heart stopped beating. Finn had noticed that Jamie was no longer breathing and he ran over to his brother. "Oh God," he whispered in disbelief. "No. _No_!" He felt for a pulse. "Doc!" Finn called out. "Do something."_

"_There's nothing we can do at this point. We just have to wait." Doc said calmly._

"_There has to be something_._ You've been working on antidotes this whole time. Try one. It can't be any worse than what is happening now." Finn's voice was raw and tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. _

"_I—"_

"_Just try something!"_

_Doc turned and grabbed several vials from the table and came back with needle in hand. "I can't promise you anything, Finn." Doc said sadly._

"_Just try _something_. Anything"_

_Doc looked over his notes a few more times before he chose one vial. He filled the syringe with a greenish liquid and then injected it into Jamie's still body. "We won't know anything until your brother wakes up." Doc fastened straps around Jamie's limbs—his ankles and his wrists. "Just a precaution," he added, noticing Finn's upset look. "But now there is really nothing left to do but wait and see who wakes up, whether it be your brother or a monster."_

_. . . _

"It isn't possible." Andie was the first one to speak. She was still standing by Kaid's side, who had lowered his knife.

Jamie was sitting on Finn's bed while Finn was standing with his arms crossed.

"We still don't know exactly what happened," Finn explained. "But Doc has been trying to replicate it. That's why you never see him, he's always in the lab. This is the closest he's gotten to an antidote, and if he can replicate it…"

"But he's not cured." Kaid said flatly, looking at Jamie.

"No. Not completely, but he's not trying to rip your face off right no is he?" Finn defended.

"But he still needs blood?" Andie asked this time. Finally, Jamie raised his head to acknowledge her. "I don't kill people if that's what you're asking."

"I didn't say that." She responded softly.

"Look, all we're asking is for you to keep this on the down low. We don't need any more misinformed rumors spreading around. Jamie has it under control. He's not going to hurt anyone. There's nothing to worry about." Finn explained.

It was silent for a while before Finn spoke again. "Please."

"Fine." Kaid said curtly.

"Thank you," Finn sighed in relief.

Jamie locked eyes with Andie. She looked as if she completely understood him now. She wasn't afraid of him, but more bewildered and intrigued. Something like Jamie shouldn't exist, but it did. Since he survived being bitten, it means he is everyone's hope for surviving this plague and Andie looked like she understood that even though most people didn't. She didn't look scared like most people. She saw the potential in Jamie, potential to save everyone. Jamie was the first step to a cure. He was the only hope for the return a normal life.

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**There will be a little more information revealed about Jamie as the story goes by , but hopefully everything is a lot more clear now! Don't forget to REVIEW! :)**


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